Abstract
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Plantsedited by B.B. Buchanan, W. Gruissem and R.L. JonesAmerican Society of Plant Physiologists, 2000ASPP members and students, US$119.95/non members, US$149.95 hbk; ASPP members and students, US$89.95/non members US$99.95 pbkISBN 0 943088 37 2 (hbk); 0 943088 39 9 (pbk)Only five years ago there was a real shortage of quality, up-to-date textbooks covering plant biochemistry, cell biology and physiology. Since then, several notable books have been published – Plant Metabolism (edited by David Dennis et al.) 1xDennis, D.T. et al. See all References1, Plant Biochemistry and Molecular Biology by Hans Heldt 2xHeldt, H-W. See all References2, and the recent revision of Plant Physiology by Lincoln Taiz and Eduardo Zeiger 3xTaiz, L. and Zeiger, E. See all References3. Between them, these texts provide comprehensive coverage of a wide range of aspects of plant biology. Into this arena comes a new book, a multi-author work edited by Bob Buchanan, Wilhem Gruissem and Russell Jones. As is indicated by the title, The Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Plants aims to cover the molecular aspects of plant science in a single text, with the undergraduate biology course firmly in mind. The project originated from a proposed revision of the classic Plant Biochemistry by James Bonner and Joe Varner following the sad death of Joe Varner in 1995, but as the editors concede in the preface, the book developed into a text extending beyond the remit of a simple plant biochemistry text book.In style and content, the book has clearly been influenced by the immensely successful Molecular Biology of the Cell 4xAlberts, B. et al. See all References4. The overall organization is similar, there are the familiar declarative headings and the style of the illustrations is reminiscent of this text. The book is divided into five major sections – Compartments, Cell Reproduction, Energy Flow, Metabolic and Developmental Integration, and Plant Environment and Agriculture – which between them cover all the major aspects of molecular plant science, extending even into some physiological topics such as responses to abiotic stress. This organization is logical and makes it easy to find information. Although in general the coverage is broad and complete, there are a few strange omissions. For example, there is a whole chapter concerned with amino acid metabolism, but the biosynthesis of serine is not covered in spite of being referred to in the summary diagram at the beginning of the chapter. Although this is not a major omission, it has an impact on any claims the book might have to be a reference work. The coverage is also, in places, rather eclectic. This is difficult to avoid in a multi-author work such as this, where the research interests of individual chapter authors inevitably affect their choice of material for inclusion. In general, the text seems to be error free, although there is a recurring oversimplification that some might consider an error – the proton electrochemical potential difference across a membrane is given as the simple sum of the membrane potential difference and the ΔpH. This occurs in spite of a well written section near the beginning that describes the correct derivation of this equation.Notwithstanding these points, this textbook has some real strengths. It is up-to-date not only in terms of the content, but also, and perhaps most importantly, in terms of its description of current research methodology. There are numerous references to the contributions that genetics, both classical and molecular approaches, have made to our understanding. There are also excellent sections that explain the basis of important techniques and approaches, such as use of NMR spectroscopy or the development of non-invasive methods for the measurement of cytoplasmic calcium concentrations. If you take the view that teaching plant biology is primarily about communicating how our knowledge of plant function is acquired, then this feature will definitely appeal. From the perspective of teaching, another key feature of the book is its illustrations. Although many works claim to be lavishly illustrated, this one really is, and the majority of the figures present important information in visually engaging and appealing ways. The use of colour is excellent, and the overall coherence of the volume is helped by the consistency between figures. For example, metabolic cofactors are always represented in the same way, making it easy to appreciate how pathways interact with one another, even if this is not stated explicitly.Overall, I think this book is a welcome addition to the texts available. Its claim to be a reference work can be disputed – even a work of more than 1200 pages cannot possibly cover everything. Nevertheless, as a tool for teaching (both for the teacher and the learner) I think that this book will prove invaluable. It will certainly be appearing on my reading lists before too long.
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