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In Situ Hybridisation: Application to Developmental Biology And Book reviews 284 laboratory involved in human genetic disease and in the high point of the book. This chapter takes the mutagenesis generally. novice through the intricacies of linking number, twist ANN C. CHANDLEY and writhe to newer parameters such as surface twist MRC Human Genetics Unit, and surface linking number without assuming any Western General Hospital, prior knowledge or advanced mathematical skills. I Edinburgh EH4 2XU do not want to imply that the chapter makes for easy reading; it is very challenging. But to retain rigour while making the subject accessible is a superb DNA Topology and Its Biological Effects, Monograph achievement; congratulations. Unfortunately I cannot 20. Edited by NICHOLAS R. COZZARELLI and JAMES say the same thing about the chapter on DNA C. WANG. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory 1990. supercoiling and unusual structures. Here the theor- 480 pages. Price $97. ISBN 0 87969 348 7. etical treatment is not accessible without specialist This book is the newest addition to the high quality knowledge outwith the coverage of the book, and the series of monographs published by the Cold Spring treatment of the experimental work on cruciforms and Harbor Press and is no exception to this standard. Z DNA is rather limited. The chapters of the book The first half of the book deals with DNA structure that cover the topoisomerases are more descriptive and supercoiling and the second half with the enzymes and therefore not so intellectually challenging. Type-I that change its topology, the topoisomerases, and and Type-II topoisomerases of prokaryotic, eukary- their effects. The subject area is central to the otic, archebacterial and viral origin are described in understanding of almost all DNA interactions (e.g. eloquent detail as are their effects on replication and transcription, replication, recombination and chromo- illegitimate recombination; and the book ends with a some organization) a pivotal role that is underlined by section on the natural modification of topoisomerases the effectiveness of topoisomerase inhibitors as anti- and the effects of drugs that interact with topoisomer- cancer drugs. The chapters are written by widely ases and their use in the treatment of cancer. An respected experts in the field and the book as a whole appendix giving the nucleic acid and encoded amino- constitutes a welcome resource for many whose work acid sequences of topoisomerase genes completes the impinges upon this area and a window into a picture. marvellous world of coils and supercoils for anyone As a whole I believe that the book succeeds very who just finds this subject fascinating. In the preface, well and will allow the non-specialist to enter into the the editors state that' The organisation of this volume world of coils and supercoils but also does not was designed to provide a structured introduction to sacrifice the rigour required to be of value to the the uninitiated ... and that the authors had been asked scientist working in this area. Because of my own to write their chapters 'in a didactic style, operating interests I would have liked to have seen a section on on the assumption that the average reader would have site-specific recombination where such remarkable little prior knowledge of the subject'. This is rather a applications of topological principles have been made tall order when also attempting to make each chapter to understand the organisational level of the reaction 'a separate unit for the more advanced' in an area as mechanisms. But as the editors say in the preface they intellectually challenging as this. From my point of have not been 'exempted from the usual perils view as a geneticist with an interest in this area I was associated with the publication of a book on a rapidly interested to see how well they had succeeded in their evolving subject'. In fact they have done remarkably goals and this review can be viewed as 'a geneticist's well in avoiding these perils and have put together a perspective'. book that I can recommend very highly. The book starts by introducing the structures of DAVID LEACH DNA, emphasising the knowledge that we now have Institute of Cell and Molecular Biology, from a variety of methods of the effect of sequence on University of Edinburgh, structure. I found this section fascinating but not easy Mayfield Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JR to follow and I would have appreciated a more gentle introduction to the definitions of twist, roll and slide at an earlier stage in the first chapter. The book then In Situ Hybridisation: Application to Developmental goes on to discuss the bending of DNA in nucleo- Biology and Medicine. Society for Experimental protein complexes and in loops that regulate gene Biology Seminars Series 40. Edited by N. HARRIS expression. These chapters interweave the experimen- and D. G. WILKINSON. Cambridge University tal evidence with theoretical work and illustrate the Press. 1990. 288 pages. Hardbound Price £35.00. subject with examples to produce a clear picture. The ISBN 0 521 38062 6. only part that I had difficulty with was the 'linking This volume presents 14 articles based on talks given number paradox' which was clarified in the later at a meeting on ' In situ hybridization' in Edinburgh in chapter on the topology and geometry of DNA April, 1989. In situ hybridization uses labelled nucleic supercoiling. To my mind, the chapter dealing with acid probes to detect specific RNA or DNA sequences the topology and geometry of DNA supercoiling was within chromosomes, cells and tissues. This powerful Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core. IP address: 170.106.35.234, on 27 Sep 2021 at 16:44:55, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0016672300029463 Book reviews 285 technique can be applied to an immense range of function, for example the analysis of mutant pheno- biological and medical problems, from mapping genes types. on chromosomes to sexing unborn children, from The first of the chapters (8-11) dealing with investigating gene expression to diagnosing viral botanical applications is a different example of a good infection in man. Given the breadth of this range, the read. G. I. McFadden demonstrates, rather beauti- dual aims of the book are ambitious: first to review fully, the use of in situ hybridization at the electron progress in the application of the technique, and microscope level to characterise the nucleic acids of second to provide the would-be user with protocols the plastids in cryptomonad algae and Chlorarachnion and an appreciation of the technical options. and thus to provide evidence for their origin from The first three chapters introduce the technique. eukaryotic endosymbionts. All the plant chapters are Chapter 1, by G. Coulton, is a simple exposition of well written, S. Y. Wright and A. J. Greenland on the theory and practice with emphasis on non-radioactive expression of male-specific flower genes in maize, N. methods. Chapter 2, by A. K. Raap et al. is an Harris et al. on tissue preparation techniques for excellent review of the use of fluorescent probes. The studies of the expression of storage-protein genes in third chapter, by A. Giaid et al., complements the first peas, and K. G. Jones et al. on the use of resin- by describing the use of radioactively labelled RNA imbedded tissue for high-resolution analysis of gene molecules as probes and describes, as an example, the expression during gametogenesis. The latter three detection of peptide mRNA in the diffuse neuroendo- chapters provide detailed protocols for in situ hybrid- crine system. All three chapters have good biblio- ization on plant materials at the light, and electron, graphies while chapters 1 and 3 have example microscope levels. Jones et al. give a method for in situ protocols with sufficient detail to allow anyone nick translation on EM sections used to detect low familiar with histology and molecular biology to use levels of organellar DNA; curiously, this interesting the technique. The content is a little patchy and technique is not mentioned in the otherwise good displays some careless proofreading - for example, index. the effect of high salt concentration is to raise, not The last three chapters deal with medical appli- lower, the Tm (chapter l)-but these three chapters cations. The excellent article by J. D. West on the use together adequately describe the basic technique. of sex-chromosome specific probes to determine the The remainder of the book is a series of specialized sex of the human conceptus is well illustrated, articles on the application of the technique to a wide rigorous, and useful in everything from the most range of problems. In general, the authors aim to general considerations to the fine details of technique. combine a review of data, usually from their own The chapter gives detailed protocols for in situ group, with a description of technique (often with hybridization to chromosomes, interphase nuclei, and detailed protocols) in a way which illustrates the use decondensed sperm heads and for double labelling of in situ hybridization for a particular purpose. The techniques (using fluorescent and radioactive probes). degree to which this aim is satisfied by properly The chapter by C. S. Herrington, et al., on non- balancing these different elements varies greatly radioactive in situ hybridization in human pathology between chapters. In this respect, the book would deals mainly with virus detection, but touches on have benefited from closer editorial control. applications in cytogenetics. This chapter has a good Chapters 4-7 describe the use of in situ hybridization bibliography, but otherwise is rather disappointing. It is repetitious and in places quite misleading; for to investigate gene expression in animal development.
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