โ Scribed by Frank Krasin
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
This brief volume (155 pp) represents the proceedings of a series of seminars on muscle development and specialization sponsored by the Society for Experimental Biology. The eight chapters provide only selective coverage, but most are unusually concise, internally coherent introductions and overviews to their respective areas. Aspects of pre-and postnatal development, growth, and differentiation of muscle are covered in chapters by McLachlan and Wolpert, G. Goldspink, and Vrbova. In all three chapters, the authors not only recognize the role of genetic and epigenetic factors in development, particularly in laying down the fundamental basis for muscle structure and function, but also strongly emphasize the role of physical (electrical) and mechanical stimuli in bringing about the specific adaptations of a given muscle to its neural and functional environment. The two more biochemically oriented chapters by Perry and Dhoot and D. Goldspink document an impressive degree of progress in this area during recent years, yet they point out the vast gap that remains between our understanding of the phenomenological aspects of muscle biology and the expression of the genes for specific muscle proteins or the regulation of muscle protein synthesis. The last three chapters by Pringle, Tregear, and Johnston emphasize the evolutionary diversity of mature skeletal muscle by covering basic aspects of muscle organization and function in arthropods and in fishes. In keeping with the seminar nature of the book, these chapters start the reader out on familiar ground before proceeding to the more unique and specialized features of their model systems. The coverage of several of the chapters tends to be more parochial than inclusive, but almost all successfully provide the reader with a clear picture of the current state-of-the-art and the major unresolved issues. Because of its brevity, clarity, and emphasis, 1 would recommend this book highly to the advanced student or professional who wants to broaden his knowledge of muscle biology.
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