Book Reviews

Given the pace of new discoveries in the field of developmental biology, it is remarkable that this is shorter by 200 pages then the previous one. This is largely due to the realization from recent work that seemingly distinct and separate phenomena and topics are, actually, related. But it is also due to Gilbert’s talent for expressing these new ideas. The accompanying Website contains more advanced topics, and this has certainly contributed to the slimmer version.

The book is organized in four parts: Principles of Developmental Biology, Early embryonic development, Later embryonic development (including a new chapter – Metamorphosis, Regeneration and Aging) and Ramifications of Developmental Biology (including a new chapter on basics of plant development).

At the beginning of the book, Gilbert defines the questions of developmental biology, and then proceeds to give a historical account of development of ideas and approaches that have evolved to answer those questions. This is done in a very expressive and convincing manner, that portrays main protagonists of the early days of the field as active players, rather then stale museum pieces (which happens in so many other textbooks). This sets the tone for the book: Gilbert is concerned with evolution of paradigms and concepts and uses up-to-date research data to illustrate these developments. His book does not restrict itself to description of favorite model systems of contemporary developmental biology, but also includes discussion of the ethical issues that have emerged with new advances in biotechnology. In addition, he has also extended the scope of the book to include chapters on Environmental Regulation of Normal Development and Developmental Mechanisms of Evolutionary Change. This adds much to the quality of the book.

Each chapter opens with quotations that, even though they do not add any facts to the text, contribute to the flavor of the book and it’s aesthetics. Included in each chapter are also ‘Sidelines & Speculations’ and ‘Snapshot’ summary parts, which add to the richness and fluidity of the text.

Here’s my favorite quotation from the book, which illustrates well the enthusiasm that comes out of practically every page of the book.

Between the fifth and tenth days the lump of stem cells differentiates into the overall building plan of the (mouse) embryo and its organs. It is a bit like a lump of iron turning into the space shuttle. In fact it is the profoundest wonder we can still imagine and accept, and at the same time so usual that we have to force ourselves to wonder about the wondrousness of this wonder. Miroslav Holub (1990).

The aesthetics and effectiveness of the book are helped a great deal by fantastic illustrations and photographs; this has been the hallmark of previous editions as well.

Of course, researchers from particular fields of Developmental Biology, will, like this reviewer, find some inaccuracies when carefully scrutinizing chapters covering their favorite topic. These generally come from the interpretation of very recent data and are not serious; they are more then offset by the enthusiasm, wisdom and usefulness of the book.

This book will be of great value to many diverse users – advanced undergraduates, graduate students, and researchers working in almost any field of life sciences.

Gilbert’s sixth edition comes with a CD- ROM ‘Vade Mecum’, originally designed for Developmental Biology: A guide for Experimental Study. The CD-ROM includes some lovely images of live chick embryos, as well as amusing recorded calls of North American frogs, but is of limited value as addition to the Gilbert’s book.

Tyler’s Experimental Guide is not very accurately titled, since only two to three of 14 parts actually involve experimentation. The vast majority of the guide deals with observation of normal development of various embryos. Observation is still one of the most important skills of biologists, and this guide will be a good introduction for inexperienced students. The guide is written in casual and lively manner, which should help instructors and students. Unfortunately, since some of the most interesting chapters – on sea urchin and amphibian development – deal with encounters with North American species during field trips, these will be of limited value to users living elsewhere.

Division of Developmental Biology, National Institute for Medical Research, The Ridgeway, Mill Hill, London NW7 1AA, UK

Sugar Without Any Gags?: Molecular and Cellular Glycobiology

M. Fukuda

O. Hindsgaul

Is it fair to write a book called Molecular and Cellular Glycobiology without dealing with GAGs

(glycosaminoglycans) and proteoglycans? Probably. Sugars are now important in all corners of biochemistry, cell biology and developmental biology. Any book of decent size in the glyco-field frontline would have to consist of selected essays. In the post-genomic era, there will be a need for a continuous production of books on glycobiology topics. As stated in the first chapter ‘Carbohydrates are not primary gene products. They are synthesized by glycosyltransferases, which are protein products of genes.’ These enzymes again hold the clue to why only a fraction of the theoretically possible polysaccharide structures is found in nature. Still, the variation from cell type to cell type and during development is astonishing, with all the biological specificity that is likely to exist without having been discovered yet.

In the series Frontiers in Molecular Biology, from Oxford University Press, Molecular and Cellular Glycobiology is the 30th title and was released this year. The book consists of eight main chapters delivered by 14 distinguished contributors. Some chapters have very broad titles, for example, ‘Cell Surface Carbohydrates: Cell type-specific Expression’ and ‘Carbohydrates in Medicine’, while others have titles like ‘Polysialic Acid in Neural Cell Development: Roles, Regulation and Mechanism’.

The book covers various topics, but for many glycobiologists something is missing. Glycosaminoglycans and proteoglycans are completely absent from the index and are only touched peripherally in the text. If not for the chapter ‘Functional Significance of O- GlcNAc Glycoproteins in the Nucleus and Cytoplasm’, by Lisa K. Kreppel and Gerald W. Hart, the book could defend the name ‘Structure and Function of Cell Surface Carbohydrates other than GAGs’. The preface indicates that the book Proteoglycans:

A Practical Approach might fill in this gap.

Who might then the readers be? The preface written by Dr Minoru Fukuda gives no direct advice, but the first chapter, written by the same Dr Fukuda, serves as a general introduction to the rest of the book. This first chapter goes back to quite basic concepts, possibly to pick up non-glycobiologists or students, and to gives the reader a good platform before reading the following chapters.

What does it give you that you would not find in a more traditional textbook, like Essentials of Glycobiology (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, 1999)? In addition to the contents already mentioned, you get more details on the diversity of sugar structures, it gives you an extensive update on leukocyte- endothelial cell interactions, an insight into deficiencies in asparagine-linked glycosylation in diseases, state of the art with respect to transgenic technology in the field, and it gives you hundreds, if not thousands of references.

Returning to the extensive variability in the structure of sugars initiated on the same amino acids. Although so many have been described with respect to their covalent structure, only a fraction have yet been proven to undergo specific interactions. One must agree that this is where the future in the field is, not only what those interactions are, but also what are their functions.

Department of Biochemistry, University of Oslo, PO Box 1041, Blindern, Oslo 0316, Norway