TiPS - March 1991 /Vol. 121 121

have been enormous advances in growth factor research. This has

DNA-derived material. Although we can expect an explosive in-

the first stages of the growth factor

been due in part to the sequencing crease in further research, this story. JANEROBINSONAND

and cloning of many of the mol- treatise, with its references cover- ANTHONY MIRE-SLUJS

ecules, resulting in the availability of large amounts of recombinant

ing publications up to early 1989, NUth?i intiitufc for Bidogicul Sfsandds

will prcvide an excellent survey of and Control, Blanc/w Lam, Soufh Mimms, Poltccn Bar EN6 3QC. UK.

Partners in time Fidia Research Foundation Neuroscjence Award Lectures

edited by I-P. Changeux, R. R. Winas, D. Purves and F. E. Bloom, Raven Press, 1990. $60.00 (287 pages) ISBN 0 88167 659 4

This is an interesting book with a refreshingly historical perspective. It contains reviews in different areas of neuroscience which are texts of lectures delivered by each contributor to the Georgetown University Medical School in 1988 and 19O9. An unusual feature is that each lecture is preceded by a short biogaphical sketch of the Italian scientist in whose honour the lecture was given. The partic: pants are weIl chosen.

For example, the chapter sn electrIcal properties of neurons by Rudolf LNnas is dedicated to the early pioneer of electrophysiology, LuigI Galvani. For the younger stientist such an approach high- lights how far science has pro- gressed and how rudimentary early experimental approaches can now appear. Galvani’s early but inventive studies on the effects of atnmaphere discharges on nerves, using frog preparations connected to his garden railings, contrast sharply with the work of Llinas describing the oscillatory proper- ties of thalamic neunms produced c~~u~a~al changes in ionic

The most extensive review is by Jean-Pierre Changeux on the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor. It comprises almost half of the book and differs from the other three reviews in that it provides a fully comprehensive (up to 19ft81 and referenced account of the field rather than a selective overview. It is excellent and, for anyone interested in receptors, lustifies the purchase of this book. This lecture is dedicated to one of the pioneers of nerve growth factor research, Rita Levi Montalcini. Her work spanned a range of studies, from the nature of nerve growth factor to the genes responsible

for its production. In parallel, Changeux describes the evolution of our understanding of the nico- tinic acetylcholine receptor start- ing from the theoretical existence of a pharmacological receptor and leading to the amino acid compo- sition of its subunits and the physical dimensions of the in- trinsic ion channel.

The chapter on neural archi- tecture by Dale Purves is appro- priately dedicated to Camill Golgi. Purves describes changes in neural architectire using the modern techniques of confocal and elec- tron microscopy. At the time when GolgI was completing his work on the ultrast~chue of neurons, the scientific communip began to ask how the subcelhrlar compartments worked. Similarly, I was left at the end of this review wanting to know more about the mech- anisms involved in synaptic plas- ticity in addition to their anatom- ical description.

The last chapter, by Floyd Bloom and dedicated to Vittorio Erspamer, only touches on many aspects ot

the role of peptides in the CNS, but promises that recent advances in the field of molecular biology should do much to enhance our understanding of this rapidly growing area.

The only negative part of this book is, in my opinion, the first chapter on medical ethics by Edmund Pellegrino, who sets out to examine the limitations of the Hippocratic oath in today’s society. Apart from the observation that all the scientists honoured were medically qualified, I could see no reason for induding it. While it provides food for thought, it would be better served on another menu. However, this should not distract the reader from the rest of the book. It could not be described as an obligatory pur- chase for any library but, because it presents science in an interest- ing and historical format, it is well worth reading.

RUTH MCKERNAN

Merck Sharp & Dohme Research Labwo-

forin. Ttriings Pnrk. &ash&k Road, Herlow CM20 ZQR, UK.

Do the right thing ReceptopEffector Coupling, A Practical Approach

edited by E. C. Hulme, IRL Press, 19% WOOO spiralbound, fl9.50 pbk (xviii + 224 pages) ISBN 091963094 1 spiralbound, 092 963095 X pbk

This book is the second in a trilogy covering different aspects of receptor methodology. After so many proceedings and reviews in this area the publication in a single volume of such a broad collection of techniques is welcome. We are all used to the high quality of the Practical Approach series and this vdume is well up to these standards. As usual we find to- the-point, dear and authoritative discussions of the current issues, carefully selected protocols and reference lists for Specific Cases not described in the text.

There are detailed and compre-

hensive sections on purification and assay of G proteins, solubiliz- ation of receptor4 protein com- plexes, and reconstitution of the E-adrenoceptor-coupkd adenylyl cydase system, muscarinic acetyl- choline receptor and G proteins, and growth factor receptor/tyro- sine kinases.

The second half of the volume comprises diverse methodok@s to quantitate biologicrl respcmses elicited by receptor activation. Briefly, assay of poi~mos- itide turnover, spectrophotc+ i&i&c and electrrxhemical deter- mination of intracellular Ca” methods to study hormone modu: lation of ion channels by patch- damp techniques, and demon- stration of receptor tymsine kinases are discussed. The book closes with a succbwt appendix on radioligand binding (a ropic W covered in a previous vohrme of the series).