Signalling systems. the transfer of information from the cellular surface to the nucleus as well as merely intracellular communicaton pathways. share several common mechanisms, even in systems as different as pro-and eukaryotes. The 'Signal Transduction' book leads us through a variety of different systems in sixteen chapters from bacterial chemotaxis to complex eukaryotic systems like sexual development in the nematode Cocnor/ztrhdi/k e/egcriis. photoreception in Clilamydumonns reihardtii or the control of differentiation in Dictrosfe/iirm discoirieurn. Common to most of these systems is the regulatory principle of protein phosphorylation cascades. Major parts of the books are devoted to the well-known prokaryotes Esrhericliia coli. Saltnor~ellc~ rjpliiriziwiiini and Agrohocteriwn tumrfaciens. The eukaryotic organisms dealt with are Drosopliila melutioguster Saccliaromyces cereoisiae and Srhi~o.r.ucclirrruriz~.c.es potrzhc in addition to those already mentioned.
The 'Signal Transduction' book is an excellent publication for those of us preparing lectures or for young scientists trying to enter into a highly competitive. interesting field. However, are there really no experimental systems offering real novelties? I guess. there must be, but I admit that it is hard to find authors who are willing to shed light on signalling pathways of organisms which are 'not yet a system'. An excellent chapter on f'c/ranieciim points into this direction : Despite many parallels with the other model systems. Prrrrrriieciutr? offers interesting differences. The usual heterotrimeric G proteins are lacking, while the electric properties of the cell resemble those of sensory neurons.
Overall. Academic Press offers an excellent book which should be present in many biological libraries, at least in those covering microbiology, developmental biology and biochemistry.
JOH. WOSTMEYER (Jena)