APPLIED ORGANOMETALLIC CHEMISTRY Appl. Organometal. Chem. 2005; 19: 216 Book Review Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com) Book Review EDITED BY ALBRECHT MESSERSCHMIDT, WOLFRAM BODE AND MIREK CYGLER Handbook of metalloproteins, volume 3 Wiley, 2004, pp 768. price £375. ISBN 0-470-84984-3 It is estimated that metalloproteins con- stitute some 30% of proteins; this figure is likely to increase as the predictive power of bioinformatics and knowledge of the protein folds improves. A series that draws together the current knowledge in a concise and informative manner is highly pertinent in this rapidly expanding and exciting field. This volume completes the series, Volumes 1 and 2 having dealt with the redox-active metals: iron, nickel, manganese, cobalt, molybdenum, tung- sten, copper and vanadium. Volume 3 continues with the redox-inactive metals: zinc and calcium. These two metals are amongst the most influential in biological systems, playing vital roles in the signalling and detection process (calcium/calmodulin) and the regulation of gene expression (zinc/zinc fingers), as well as a myriad of other indispensable functions. The book is logically divided into sections of related proteins, e.g. zinc hydrolases, which are then further sub- divided into those acting on peptide bonds and those acting on non-peptide bonds. The individual chapters are then constructed using the same format, begin- ning with the functional class and clas- sification followed by occurrence, biological function, amino acid sequence, methods of production and purification, metal content and any cofactors, activity tests, methods of crystallization, over- all structure, metal site geometry and mechanism of action. Where appropri- ate, there are supplementary sections dealing with protein-specific questions, such as ‘calmodulin as a drug target’. The only exceptions to this format are the chapters dealing with the structural aspects of zinc sites, which necessarily pull together information on a large num- ber of proteins. In a volume designed for researchers interested in structure and mechanism there is still an abundance of information for the non-specialist reader. This includes consideration of the ver- satile bacterial aminopeptidases that are involved in site-specific DNA recombina- tion, a function that is independent of the aminopeptidase activity, and the structural role of zinc in insulin storage. The diverse biological functions that related proteins are used for is emphasized by the astacin family, where crayfish astacin provides a digestive function, while most astacins of other organisms are involved in developmental processes, such as dorso-ventral patterning in Drosophila. There are detailed descriptions of protein structure and the metal coordination sites, which are clear and provide—in concert with the sections on mechanism of action—the latest interpretation of the structural basis of enzyme specificity, such as the preferential action of nuclease P1 on single-stranded DNA and RNA. In each case the text is supported by numerous high-quality illustrations that further clarify the descriptions. The protein database accession codes are given for all the structures reported and a com- plete list of all codes cited is conveniently included at the end of the volume. This excellent volume manages to combine the depth required to make it essential reading material for the biomolecular researcher, yet contains sufficient background detail to capture the interest of the casual reader—it is highly recommended. John Hall De Montfort University, UK DOI:10.1002/aoc.715 Copyright 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Edited by Albrecht Messerschmidt, Wolfram Bode and Mirek Cygler. Handbook of metalloproteins, volume 3. Wiley, 2004, pp 768. ISBN 0-470-84984-3

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Page 1: Edited by Albrecht Messerschmidt, Wolfram Bode and Mirek Cygler. Handbook of metalloproteins, volume 3. Wiley, 2004, pp 768. ISBN 0-470-84984-3

APPLIED ORGANOMETALLIC CHEMISTRYAppl. Organometal. Chem. 2005; 19: 216 Book ReviewPublished online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com)

Book Review

EDITED BY ALBRECHTMESSERSCHMIDT, WOLFRAMBODE AND MIREK CYGLER

Handbook of metalloproteins, volume 3

Wiley, 2004, pp 768.price £375.ISBN 0-470-84984-3

It is estimated that metalloproteins con-stitute some 30% of proteins; this figureis likely to increase as the predictivepower of bioinformatics and knowledgeof the protein folds improves. A series thatdraws together the current knowledgein a concise and informative manner ishighly pertinent in this rapidly expandingand exciting field. This volume completesthe series, Volumes 1 and 2 having dealtwith the redox-active metals: iron, nickel,manganese, cobalt, molybdenum, tung-sten, copper and vanadium. Volume 3continues with the redox-inactive met-als: zinc and calcium. These two metalsare amongst the most influential in bio-logical systems, playing vital roles inthe signalling and detection process (cal-cium/calmodulin) and the regulation ofgene expression (zinc/zinc fingers), aswell as a myriad of other indispensablefunctions.

The book is logically divided intosections of related proteins, e.g. zinc

hydrolases, which are then further sub-divided into those acting on peptidebonds and those acting on non-peptidebonds. The individual chapters are thenconstructed using the same format, begin-ning with the functional class and clas-sification followed by occurrence, bio-logical function, amino acid sequence,methods of production and purification,metal content and any cofactors, activitytests, methods of crystallization, over-all structure, metal site geometry andmechanism of action. Where appropri-ate, there are supplementary sectionsdealing with protein-specific questions,such as ‘calmodulin as a drug target’.The only exceptions to this format arethe chapters dealing with the structuralaspects of zinc sites, which necessarilypull together information on a large num-ber of proteins.

In a volume designed for researchersinterested in structure and mechanismthere is still an abundance of infor-mation for the non-specialist reader.This includes consideration of the ver-satile bacterial aminopeptidases that areinvolved in site-specific DNA recombina-tion, a function that is independent of theaminopeptidase activity, and the struc-tural role of zinc in insulin storage. Thediverse biological functions that relatedproteins are used for is emphasized bythe astacin family, where crayfish astacin

provides a digestive function, while mostastacins of other organisms are involvedin developmental processes, such asdorso-ventral patterning in Drosophila.

There are detailed descriptions of pro-tein structure and the metal coordinationsites, which are clear and provide—inconcert with the sections on mechanismof action—the latest interpretation of thestructural basis of enzyme specificity,such as the preferential action of nucleaseP1 on single-stranded DNA and RNA.In each case the text is supported bynumerous high-quality illustrations thatfurther clarify the descriptions. The pro-tein database accession codes are givenfor all the structures reported and a com-plete list of all codes cited is convenientlyincluded at the end of the volume.

This excellent volume manages tocombine the depth required to makeit essential reading material for thebiomolecular researcher, yet containssufficient background detail to capturethe interest of the casual reader—it ishighly recommended.

John Hall

De Montfort University, UK

DOI:10.1002/aoc.715