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Cell, Vol 36, 235-236, February 1984, Copyright 0 1984 by MIT Book Reviews Compressing the Plasma Membrane The Plasma Membrane. Transport in the Life Sciences. Volume 6. By S. K. Malhotra New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (1983). 209 pp. $69.95. This is a short monograph, having about 150 small pages of text, 30 illustrations (reproduced in low, but usually passable quality), and 600 references. Despite its brevity, the book is ambitious in scope. The coverage includes structural and physical properties of membranes, functions of membrane components, biosynthesis and regulation of membrane proteins and lipids, exocytosis and endocyto- sis, interactions between membrane and cytoskeleton, and cell-cell interactions. The author makes frequent use of bacteriorhodopsin, gap junction protein, and the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor to illustrate various aspects of mem- brane structure and function (the existence of domains, protein-lipid interactions, lateral and rotational mobility of membrane proteins, ion channels and ion transport, signal transduction-to name a few of the many topics). Other examples are drawn from various specialized cells from organisms representing many phyla. Although the book is divided into chapters, it reads as one long essay. One can imagine that the author might have written it principally from memory and afterwards sought out the supporting references. The result, however it was written, is a work that has several very commendable aspects and several very serious shortcomings. First the shortcomings. The test is too brief to do justice to many of the topics. Many examples and, in some cases, even whole concepts are presented in one or two sen- tences, and their significance could only be grasped by someone already familiar with the material. Again and again I found myself doubting that a student could follow the flow of ideas. This problem is compounded severely by the writing itself. The editor has done the author a grave disservice in allowing this text, replete with grammatical errors and awkward constructions, to be published, ob- viously without serious editing. In several places the text actually says the opposite of what the author intends, and in countless instances there is needless ambiguity because of faulty sentence construction. The author obviously has an agile mind, quickly moving from one example to another and often juxtaposing bits of information very creatively, but the value of all this to all but advanced students is largely vitiated by the faulty exposition, On a number of topics the author seems to be of divided opinion. For example, one finds statements about the lack of boundary lipids associated with integral membrane proteins and seemingly contradictory suggestions that essential, stable lipid-protein interactions are common- place. Statements about generally high mobility of lipids in natural membranes seem to conflict with the recurrent idea of segregated lipid domains, Both the probable existence and nonexistence of coated vesicles are suggested. The molecular basis of ion selectivity is presented both in terms of structured water and also as more conventionally con- ceived pores lined with side chains of aminoacyl residues. A longer text might have allowed space for evaluation of evidence on both sides of such issues as these. It is easy to criticize such a short book on such a large topic for the sins of omission, superficiality, and obscurity. But such criticism largely misses the point of what makes this book worthwhile. This book is clearly an exposition of one person’s view of what is important and what is inter- esting about biological membranes. Although the short- comings mentioned above render it unsuitable except for advanced students (including especially research scien- tists), for them the book may have true value. One admi- rable aspect is that the references are largely to articles and reviews published in 1981-l 983. Another fine feature is that the author frequently brings together bits of data that might otherwise rarely be encompassed in a single moment of thinking. Such juxtaposition is a major element in the creative process. The author goes a step further in pointing out avenues of research he believes would be particularly fruitful. Thus the knowledgeable reader, willing to suffer through one of the least satisfactory pieces of writing this reviewer has ever read, may come away with one or two new ideas or new ways of thinking about aspects of biological membranes. Douglas M. Fambrough Department of Embryology Carnegie Institution of Washington 115 West University Parkway Baltimore, Maryland 21210 Neglected Macromolecules Cellulose and Other Natural Polymer Systems: Biogenesis, Structure, and Degradation. Edited by Ft. Malcome Brown, Jr. New York: Plenum Press. -(1982). 519 pp. $49.50. Studies on cellulose are currently rather unfashionable and it is therefore particularly refreshing to find a book that so eruditely collates most of the best modern work on this polymer and other natural polymer systems. Cellulose is the most abundant macromolecule on earth, yet we know very little about how it is synthesized; repeated attempts to assemble cellulose microfibrils in vitro have been made without success.

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Cell, Vol 36, 235-236, February 1984, Copyright 0 1984 by MIT

Book Reviews

Compressing the Plasma Membrane

The Plasma Membrane. Transport in the Life Sciences. Volume 6. By S. K. Malhotra New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (1983). 209 pp. $69.95.

This is a short monograph, having about 150 small pages of text, 30 illustrations (reproduced in low, but usually passable quality), and 600 references. Despite its brevity, the book is ambitious in scope. The coverage includes structural and physical properties of membranes, functions of membrane components, biosynthesis and regulation of membrane proteins and lipids, exocytosis and endocyto- sis, interactions between membrane and cytoskeleton, and cell-cell interactions. The author makes frequent use of bacteriorhodopsin, gap junction protein, and the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor to illustrate various aspects of mem- brane structure and function (the existence of domains, protein-lipid interactions, lateral and rotational mobility of membrane proteins, ion channels and ion transport, signal transduction-to name a few of the many topics). Other examples are drawn from various specialized cells from organisms representing many phyla. Although the book is divided into chapters, it reads as one long essay. One can imagine that the author might have written it principally from memory and afterwards sought out the supporting references. The result, however it was written, is a work that has several very commendable aspects and several very serious shortcomings.

First the shortcomings. The test is too brief to do justice to many of the topics. Many examples and, in some cases, even whole concepts are presented in one or two sen- tences, and their significance could only be grasped by someone already familiar with the material. Again and again I found myself doubting that a student could follow the flow of ideas. This problem is compounded severely by the writing itself. The editor has done the author a grave disservice in allowing this text, replete with grammatical errors and awkward constructions, to be published, ob- viously without serious editing. In several places the text actually says the opposite of what the author intends, and in countless instances there is needless ambiguity because of faulty sentence construction. The author obviously has an agile mind, quickly moving from one example to another and often juxtaposing bits of information very creatively, but the value of all this to all but advanced students is largely vitiated by the faulty exposition,

On a number of topics the author seems to be of divided opinion. For example, one finds statements about the lack of boundary lipids associated with integral membrane proteins and seemingly contradictory suggestions that essential, stable lipid-protein interactions are common- place. Statements about generally high mobility of lipids in

natural membranes seem to conflict with the recurrent idea of segregated lipid domains, Both the probable existence and nonexistence of coated vesicles are suggested. The molecular basis of ion selectivity is presented both in terms of structured water and also as more conventionally con- ceived pores lined with side chains of aminoacyl residues. A longer text might have allowed space for evaluation of evidence on both sides of such issues as these.

It is easy to criticize such a short book on such a large topic for the sins of omission, superficiality, and obscurity. But such criticism largely misses the point of what makes this book worthwhile. This book is clearly an exposition of one person’s view of what is important and what is inter- esting about biological membranes. Although the short- comings mentioned above render it unsuitable except for advanced students (including especially research scien- tists), for them the book may have true value. One admi- rable aspect is that the references are largely to articles and reviews published in 1981-l 983. Another fine feature is that the author frequently brings together bits of data that might otherwise rarely be encompassed in a single moment of thinking. Such juxtaposition is a major element in the creative process. The author goes a step further in pointing out avenues of research he believes would be particularly fruitful. Thus the knowledgeable reader, willing to suffer through one of the least satisfactory pieces of writing this reviewer has ever read, may come away with one or two new ideas or new ways of thinking about aspects of biological membranes.

Douglas M. Fambrough Department of Embryology Carnegie Institution of Washington 115 West University Parkway Baltimore, Maryland 21210

Neglected Macromolecules

Cellulose and Other Natural Polymer Systems: Biogenesis, Structure, and Degradation. Edited by Ft. Malcome Brown, Jr. New York: Plenum Press. -(1982). 519 pp. $49.50.

Studies on cellulose are currently rather unfashionable and it is therefore particularly refreshing to find a book that so eruditely collates most of the best modern work on this polymer and other natural polymer systems. Cellulose is the most abundant macromolecule on earth, yet we know very little about how it is synthesized; repeated attempts to assemble cellulose microfibrils in vitro have been made without success.