Plant Biochemistry by Caroline Bowsher, Martin Steer, Alyson Tobin

Abstract

BOOK REVIEW Cite as follows: Fricke,W. 2010 Book review: Plant Biochemistry. Biology and Environment: Proceedings of the RoyalIrish Academy 110B, 163-164. DOI: 10.3318/ BIOE.2010.110.2.163. Plant Biochemistry Caroline Bowsher, Martin Steer and Alyson Tobin Garland Science 2008; 500 pp; 49.00; ISBN-13 9780815341215 Plant Biochemistryby Bowsher, Steer and Tobin, is a comprehensive treatment of the biochemis tryof plants. The book is an excellent resource not only to thosewho are interested in the actual biochemical reactions and metabolic pathways, but also to thosewho want to link aspects of the physiology and ecology of plants to their bio chemistry. Throughout the book, the authors take a holistic approach to the topic and express theirown fascination forplants.One can tell that the authors have a vast teaching experience and try to approach topics from a student's point of view. The result isbiochemistry packaged into an easily 'digestible' form for the non-specialist (in particular concerning chemistry!). By providing ample examples ofhow the structureofmolecules is linked to everyday experiences, such as starch biochemistry or alkaloid occurrence tofood prop erties and toxicity, the authors render the topic attractive to first- and second-year undergraduate students. In-depth treatment of the regulation of metabolic processes and of the chemical reactions involved also make thebook a valuable resource for students atmore advanced undergraduate level and postgraduate level. Those of us who teach on related aspects of plant biology and who are not experts in thebiochemistry of plantswill find the book very useful to complement teaching contents through biochemical information. As for any book, the choice and in-depth treatment of topics reflects the research background of authors. Energy metabolism, photosynthetic reactions and nitrogen assimilation are covered in great detail. In comparison, topics such as the biochemistry ofwalls or thebiochemistry of plant hormones are treated in far less detail. Chapter 1 and 2 provide a concise introduction to the topic and nice selection ofmethodological approaches to study plant biochemistry. Personally, I would have liked to see included a section on the ionic environment in plants cells, and how this can impact on protein structureand activity,together with a method section detailing electrophysio logical approaches, and a separate section (orbox) on redox potentials, being crucial to the under standing of energymetabolism. Chapter 3 gives a comprehensive overview of the structure of plant cells. There are some great electron micrographs included. Unfortunately, although most pictures refer to the same reference, there is an almost complete lack of scales, labelling and details about plants species (and, often, cell type). Chapters 4 and 5, about photosynthetic light reactions and carbon assimilation, are an excellent up-to-date and in-depth summary of the topic.Box 5.5 on page 107 is a must?as are sections on the evolu tionofC4-plants orC4 in single cells.This chapter would have benefited, aswould most of the fol lowing chapters, from a simple scheme inwhich the location of reactions is shown at the plant, tissue,cell and organelle level (e.g. as a box). The not-so-experienced reader my find it difficult to follow 'where' 'what' ishappening and should refer to basic first-yeartextbooks in biology. Chapter 6 on respiration again provides a nice synthesisof biochemical reactions and their regulation.This is followed by a chapter on storage and structural carbohydrates. The cellwall comes a bit short,but this ismore than compensated forby an excellent treatment of sucrose and starch biochemistry and applied aspects in food industry and agriculture. Chapter 8 focuses on thoseplantmineral nutrients (nitrogen, sulphur) that involve themost of bio chemical reactions as compared to other mineral nutrients that are required at large quantities (e.g. potassium, calcium). The topic, in particular regu lation of nitrogen assimilation, is treated in great detail; again a simple scheme outlining the subcel lular location of reactions would have been great. The last chapter, on what is considered bymany as 'primary metabolism', addresses lipids.The bio chemical detail is excellent. Electronmicrographs of cuticle structure and waxes would have been good tovisually linkbiochemistry to anatomy and physiology and to render this chapter less abstract. In the final three chapters, the authors cover the biochemistry of three largergroups of plant...