Annals of Botany 78 : 523–528, 1996

Book Reviews

Barber J, ed. 1995. Molecular processes of photosynthesis.437pp. Advances in molecular and cell biology, volume10, series editor EE Bittar. Hampton Hill, UK: JAIPress Ltd. £62.50 (hardback).

The structure, function and molecular genetics of thethylakoid membranes and stromal components of thechloroplasts of higher plants and their role in photo-synthesis, have been reviewed on a number of occasionsrecently. This volume provides a well-edited, excellentlybalanced and informative series of reviews on the topic andis a useful addition to this review literature.

Photosynthesis is at the centre of the function of terrestrialand aquatic ecosystems in the global carbon and oxygenturnover and balances and is, of course, fundamental to theprocesses of food and fibre production upon which theburgeoning human population of the globe depends. Eventhe fossil fuels consumed with such avarice by the humanpopulation are the result of long-term changes wrought onprimary photosynthetic products over geological time. AsProfessor Barber says in his preface, ‘research into the basicmechanisms of photosynthesis has a long and distinguishedhistory and has consistently been at the forefront of science.The success of this research, particularly in recent years,suggests that photosynthesis may turn out to be the firstcomplex biological system to have its structure, functionand regulation described in rigorous terms at the atomiclevel.’ This summarises the thrust of the ten chapters. Theyare written by a group of world-renowned scientists—somechapters by single authors, one chapter by twelve! All givesound, wide-ranging overviews of relatively recent research.With such a rapidly changing field it is a concern that manyof the chapters appear to have been completed in early 1992,and although the date on the book is 1994 (because it is thedate of the whole series) publication was in March 1995; thereview copy was received in November 1995. Thereforesome of the information may now be superseded by morerecent analyses, but this should not detract from the overallvalue of the reviews and analyses.

The first chapter by Bertil Andersson and Jim Barber setsthe scene; it summarises current views on structure,organization and dynamics of thylakoid membranes, in-cluding their lipid composition and protein complexes. Ifound discussion of diffusion processes and dynamics veryuseful. On the theme of protein complexes, the chapter byThornber and colleagues on the pigment protein complexesof the light harvesting antenna of higher plants and purplebacteria considers in great detail the organization ofmembranes, isolation of complexes, their biochemistry andmolecular biology. The structure of phycobilisomes ofthylakoid membranes in cyanobacteria and red algae isconsidered by Glazer.

Mechanisms by which the light harvesting systems inthylakoids are regulated, captured energy is used and,

particularly, by which excess energy (i.e. not consumedby CO

#, NO−

$, SO#

%assimilation etc) is dissipated and by

which the thylakoid protects itself from excess damage byexcess light are well addressed in the book. Photoinhibitorydamage and protection from it by, for example, theviolaxanthin cycle, are considered by Chow. There is aninteresting analysis of the role of the D1 protein of thephotosystem II complex under these conditions and ofrecovery from photoinhibition. Although reviewed at somelength in several recent books, discussion of these topics isclear and succinct. More molecular genetic aspects of theprocesses involved in thylakoid structure and function areconsidered by Takahashi and Wraight for purple non-sulphur bacteria and mutants. As the detailed structure ofthe reaction centre complexes from Rhodospirillum �iridisand from Rhodobacter sphaeroides have been so welldescribed, the analysis of mutants is much enhanced and, inturn, provides information on the behaviour of the reactioncentres in these organisms. The role of proton-NAD(P)Htranshydrogenase and NADH hydrogenase in photo-synthetic membranes has received relatively little attentionin the literature. The chapter by Jackson and McEwanprovides an interesting analysis of these proteins and theirfunction in chloroplasts.

It is hardly possible to consider the functions of thechloroplast and photosynthesis without discussing the majorprotein of plants, namely ribulose bisphosphate carboxylaseoxygenase (RUBISCO). This intriguing and somewhatschizophrenic enzyme reacts with both CO

#and O

#and

cannot differentiate well between them, leading eventuallyto photorespiration. The very slow catalytic activity and thelarge amounts of nitrogen which are required for RUBISCOconstruction suggests that some improvements on naturemay be possible. The structure and mechanisms of thismulti-unit enzyme are discussed in detail and with clarity(and fine diagrams) by Gutteridge and Lundqvist. The topichas been reviewed frequently, and by the same authors, butthe present analysis is valuable. It suggests that the goal ofproducing better RUBISCO may be rather more difficultthan at first envisaged. Whatever the eventual outcome, theanalysis presented in this paper is fascinating.

Photosynthesis involves the interaction between the lightharvesting, electron transport and CO

#fixing mechanisms

within the chloroplast ; the ferredoxin-thioredoxin system,identified by Buchanan, links the energetics of the thylakoidto the energetic activation states of the enzymes of the CO

#

fixing system. His chapter re-examines its role and the moreimportant recent developments.

Auto-construction of a multi-compartmented system,such as the chloroplast, with the genetic information inchloroplast and nuclear DNA, involves protein synthesis inthe different compartments and transport of proteins acrosslipid membranes between them. Integration of subunits into

0305–7364}96}100523­06 $18.00}0 # 1996 Annals of Botany Company

524 Book re�iews

complexes requires correct three-dimensional structure andthen assembly with other components in—often extremelycritical—orientations and spacings. The way that proteinsubunits are made, folded and assembled and the role ofmolecular chaperones are considered by Gattenby, Viitanen,Speth and Grim. Translocation of proteins across chloro-plast membranes is well reviewed by Bruce and Keegstra.

The chapters are well-written, clear and informative, butnot lavishly illustrated; they are without obvious errors.The reviewswill be valuable to those teaching photosynthesisto undergraduate and postgraduate courses for their breadthof coverage, depth of comment and balance. Postgraduatestudents and undergraduates wishing to develop a broadbackground and also to obtain detailed overviews of thesubject of thylakoid}stromal functions in the chloroplastwill benefit much from this volume. There is competitionfrom a number of other reviews and books, but this volumeis worthy of a place on the bookshelf and, although notcheap, should be represented in libraries wherever photo-synthesis is being studied. I recommend it and congratulatethe editors on their choice of topics and contributors fortheir excellent product.

David W. Lawlor

Bevan MW, Harrison BD, Leaver CJ, eds. The productionand uses of genetically transformed plants. 111pp.London: Chapman & Hall. £40 (hardback).

Since the first reports on plant transformation in the early1980s, the generation of transgenic plants has become astandard technique in laboratories throughout the world. Inaddition to being a powerful new tool in basic research,speculation has abounded as to the potential contributionof the genetic manipulation of plant traits to agriculture.This compact volume provides an overview of the progressbeing made in a number of fields towards the application oftransgenic plant technology.

Based on a meeting held by the Royal Society in 1993, thebook contains reports from 13 research groups coveringareas such as the range of plants and organelles which canbe transformed, the selection of genes for transformation,and the regulation of expression of those genes. In additionto articles considering these basic problems of plantmolecular biology and transformation, the book alsoprovides an insight into the breadth of potential applicationsof transgenic plants. These include the engineering ofresistance against fungi via the manipulation of endogenousdefence genes; the use of overexpressing coat proteins as astrategy for protection against virus infection; the effect ofproteinase inhibitors on insect attack; the manipulation offruit ripening; and the generation of novel biochemicals(such as bioploymers) in plants. The spectrum of topicsconsidered is thus very broad.

Each article is presented in the form of a paper presentedat the meeting. This provides an introduction into the areacovered, results of experiments from the authors’ labora-tories, and a discussion of the significance of these data inthe context of other work being carried out. Most of thearticles also include an outlook on the future direction ofeach research area. In addition, references to the original

literature discussed in each article are provided. This formatprovides for both a relatively concise overview of theproblem being considered and at the same time facilitates amore in depth analysis of the data on which the workpresented is based.

Although most of the reports consider the scientific andtechnological problems involved in the generation oftransgenic plants, some of the articles provide an invaluableinsight into the commercial problems of translating scientificadvances in the laboratory to industry. The experiences ofBob Horsch of the Monsanto Company are especiallyinteresting for anyone contemplating entering the bio-technology arena, and the articles by Chris Sommerville andDon Grierson also describe aspects of this problem. Thework from Grierson’s lab is notable in this respect since itdescribes the scientific background to the first commerciallyavailable transgenic plant.

For anyone new to the field of plant molecular biology,the chapter by Caroline Dean provides a clear summary ofthe uses of Arabidopsis as a tool in the identification of novelgenes, and, in case anyone thinks that it all seems toosimple, the report from Mike Bevan’s group provides aglimpse of just how complicated the transcriptional regu-lation of only a single gene can be. Such potential complexityin the control of gene expression, and our frequent ignoranceof the in �i�o situation, means that manipulation of geneexpression sometimes does not lead to the expected result.The articles in this volume obviously tend to report thesuccess stories, but they also recognise the instances inwhich the phenotype of transgenic plants does not quite fitwith that desired. Such results point towards one of thelimiting steps in advances in plant biotechnology, that is ourpaucity of knowledge of even some basic aspects of plantbiochemistry, physiology and pathology. How little wereally understand about the regulation of, for example,carbon and lipid metabolism are excellently described in thearticles by Mark Stitt and Chris Somerville. On this point,the main impression provided by this volume is that, basedon the rate of progress over the last 10 years, there are veryfew technical problems that will not be overcome in the nearfuture. In contrast, a recurrent plea throughout this book isthe limitation placed on progress by our ignorance of manyaspects of plant biology. This volume thus provides a timelyindication of the essential nature of further basic research inthese areas if the full economic potential of plant bio-technology is to be realised.

With respect to potential readership, this volume will bemost useful for advanced undergraduates and graduatestudents since it provides a relatively concise overview of thefield, as well as providing a handle on the original literaturefrom which the results presented here are derived. Similarly,for those involved in teaching it will provide a usefulsummary of the present direction of plant biotechnology.For those already involved in industry, the articles will bemost useful in providing ideas for the potential uses oftransgenic plants, as well as giving an insight into thetechnical problems remaining to be solved.

The only criticism that can be aimed at this volume isreally one which results from the very success andimportance of the topic covered. Such rapid strides are

Book re�iews 525

being made in the manipulation of plants via the use oftransgenic technology that already at the time of review(late 1995) there have been significant advances in the fieldthat could not have been covered by a meeting held in 1993.The cloning of the first plant resistance genes, with theirpotential to revolutionise strategies to engineer plant}pathogen interactions, springs to mind. The only solutionwould seem to be to hold more frequent meetings on thisexciting and expanding area of plant research.

Andrew Fleming

Davies PJ, ed. 1995. Plant hormones physiology, biochemistryand molecular biology, second edition. 833pp­vii.Dordrecht :KluwerAcademicPublishers.£59.50(paper-back).

The book can only be reviewed properly in the context of itspredecessor. Since it was published in 1987 ‘Plant hormonesand their role in plant growth and de�elopment ’ has proved tobe an accessible, comprehensive and deservedly popularmulti-authored book. Its 20 chapters dealt directly with allthe major hormonal issues (with the exception of rootdevelopment, and environmental stresses), and a few lesserones. Each chapter was well-referenced, up-to-date andillustrated with numerous graphs, chemical structures,metabolic pathways and diagrammatic schemes of variouskinds. Inevitably, this widely read and much quoted bookbecame outdated since the subject has progressed rapidly. Indoing so, plant hormone research has defied the predictions,common in the 1980s, of a terminal decline because of con-ceptual difficulties and inflexible experimental approaches.As everyone knows, molecular biology has revitalisedthe subject, giving us new information concerning the cellbiology of hormone action and opened-up commercialapplications (e.g., the regulation of fruit ripening by geneticengineering). It has also vindicated much earlier work thatestablished a robust conceptual framework based on adependable body of experimental evidence concerning howhormones are made and what they do in the life of plants.It is a mark of success of the new book that it manages todescribe the new developments whilst avoiding giving thesense that hormone research is now solely a molecularpastime with little relevance to how whole plants actuallygrow and reproduce.

Updating the book has been achieved with a modestincrease in size. The number of chapters is up by only 10%to 22 and yet several new subjects are dealt with. Theseinclude jasmonates, salicylic acid, brassinosteroids,calcium-mediation of hormone action, molecular mode ofaction of auxins, ethylene and fruit ripening, woundresponses, and hormone mutants. These gains are paid forby some losses that include chapters on gibberellins and cellelongation, heterosis, bud dormancy, and plant senescence.There remains an invaluable core of topics concerninghormone biosynthesis, breakdown, analytical methods, andthe cell biology of hormone action. In addition there are 12chapters that discuss hormone involvement in variousaspects of growth and development, and two that deal withcommercial exploitation of hormones in agriculture and

micropropagation. As before, there is no contribution onroots, which is surprising since they can comprise one thirdor more of the entire plant and are essential for its survival.Roots not only absorb water and minerals but contributesubstantially to the overall hormonal balance by influencinghormone delivery rates in phloem and xylem. Plantresponses to environmental stress also fail to appear on thecontents pages. This has meant that the phenomenallysensitive photoacoustic laser detector for ethylene, de-veloped recently for stress research, finds no place in thebook. Furthermore, a number of important hormonemediated responses to stress are omitted or are mentionedonly in passing. These include adaptations to submergence,drought and air-borne pollutants and the significance ofroot to shoot communication in stress responses imposed byunfavourable soils. Nevertheless, despite these omissions,this is the book to have on plant hormones. It is up-to-date,well-structured and indexed, and affordable. It will surely bemuch used until the day Peter Davies brings out a thirdedition to accommodate further progress in this still-developing subject area. Plant hormones remain a majorsector of botanical enquiry and I recommend this bookhighly to the many research workers, teachers and studentsinterested in the subject.

M. B. Jackson

Given DR. 1994. Principles and practice of plant conser�ation.292 pp. London: Chapman & Hall. £27.50 (hardback).

Given the obvious dependence of all major world biomesupon the primary production contributed by green plants, itseems incongruous that there should be a need to argue thecase for their conservation. However, of the estimatedquarter of a million higher plant species on earth, humansexploit only a relatively small proportion directly : a smallnumber for food, a few as sources of chemicals formanufacturing purposes, but significantly more in tra-ditional medicine and as fuel. This exploitation, however, isnot at the centre of the current debate in conservation.Rather, it is the large number of species that are underpressure from human ‘developmental ’ activities, just clear-ing an area of its natural vegetation in order to convert theland to some other use.

While the countless television wildlife programmes havefirmly placed the need for conservation of animals withinthe public consciousness, they have singularly failed tomake the same case for plants. This book was commissionedby the International Union for the Conservation of Natureand Natural Resources (IUCN) and the World Wide Fundfor Nature (WWF) in an attempt to restore the balance inthe current conservation debate to ensure that plants attractthe attention they deserve. As such it makes a very welcomecontribution and, by and large, succeeds in its objectives.

The intellectual rationale for conserving plant biodiversityis provided in Chapter 1. This makes the case seemirrefutable, except I suspect if confronted with the problemof how to cook today’s meal, when the arguments may notseem quite so clear cut. The second chapter on ‘how plantsbecome threatened and extinct ’ provides a fast moving,

526 Book re�iews

concentrated, fairly comprehensive analysis of the majorcontributory factors that operate today. It comes as nosurprise that they are nearly all human factors.

Chapter 3 is concerned with documentation and data-bases. It is one of a number of chapters that have the feel of‘better say something about, but not convinced what ’. As aconsequence it is illustrative rather than definitive, general,occasionally trivial and often presents somewhat simplistic‘ textbook’ material. Similar comments can be made aboutthe content of Chapter 4 concerned with plant populationmanagement. This is a bit of a disappointment for, while itsays quite a lot about theoretical aspects of populations, itsays rather little about management in practice.

Chapters 5 and 6 are excellent. They deal with plantconservation in protected natural areas and off-site plantconservation respectively. Here is the heart of the problemfor the conservation of plant biodiversity, namely what canbe achieved in the field by protecting rare and endangeredbiomes, habitats and species and what can be done whenthat favoured approach is not viable for a particular speciesor population of interest for whatever reason. Thus, Chapter6 deals with such issues as botanical gardens and genebanks. Chapter 7 at first glance sits a bit uneasily, butprovides some nice case study material illustrating howplant conservation can be achieved in what are essentiallylandscapes modified by human activity. Habitat restoration,translocation and re-establishment provide the basic tools,but it is not really clear that our capabilities with them atpresent are still rather unsophisticated.

Three chapters on the context within which the con-servation of plant biodiversity must operate follow. Chapter8 is concerned with public awareness and education andChapter 10 with economics. Both exhibit the ‘have to saysomething’ syndrome. They are separated by a guestChapter (by de Klemm) concerned with conservationlegislation, which brings together some very useful in-formation in a fairly easily assimilated form. The concludingchapter, called ‘putting it together : integrated conser-vation’, tries to set conservation in its broader context. It isconcerned with the need for a cross-sectoral, multi-disciplinary approach. This means that it is necessary to talkabout institutional arrangements, dialogue and co-oper-ation. The ‘traditional ’ conservationists, with their predomi-nantly naturalist background, may be ill equipped to findthe solutions to the crises that face conservation. Whilesolutions need to reflect sound theory, they must also dealwith the real world where the key issues are political, socialand ethical as well as biological. There is much to thinkabout here.

The book appears to have been steered by a smalladvisory group of experts, which probably accounts for the‘have to say something about’ chapters. Be under noillusions, however, this is an excellent book. Even in thosechapters where ‘something has to be said’, it is generallyworth saying. It also says it in a very readable style.Undergraduates would find this an easy and interesting readand I will certainly direct my students to it.

At another level, it will be an important contribution tothe discussion on the conservation of biodiversity, presentingas it does a valuable collection of materials. Each of the

chapters contains a series of free standing short case studies,conveniently located in marginal panels so as not to disruptthe text. These attempt to provide some of the ‘practice ’referred to in the title and present some nice asides andstories of both successes and failures.

Applying my usual criterion of ‘value’, I will certainly beable to add a lecture or two to my conservation course fromthe material presented here. Thus, it must be adjudged asuccessful venture. I am really impressed by the price for ahard back book produced to such a very high standard. Thetext is refreshingly free of typos. However, it is no coffeetable volume, the scattered plates of habitats and individualspecies are matt, black and white (or should that be grey andgrey?) and singularly lacking in the ‘charismatic species ’ ofpopular appeal. It relies totally on its scientific content.

However, I have one complaint concerning the title. Thisis somewhat misleading, for it is not a practical handbookof plant conservation as the title might imply. Apart fromsome of the case studies, and even these do not reallyprovide much more than background, this book is aboutprinciples and the theory underlying practice. Everypublisher wants to make a title as appealing as possible inorder to sell the book, but here the deception is unnecessary.This is a book which deserves to be bought and read bythose with a practical or academic interest in conservation.

P. Wathern

Glen DM, Greaves MP, Anderson HM. 1995. Ecology andintegrated farming systems. 329 pp. Chichester : JohnWiley & Sons. £49.95 (hardback).

Throughout the developed world, there has been a shift inthe emphasis of crop research from production to sustain-ability. Simultaneously, crop scientists, sensu lato, haveturned either towards molecular biology and biochemistryor towards crop ecology. The book under review, whichcontains the invited papers presented at the 13th LongAshton International Symposium on Arable ecosystems forthe 21st century, falls in to the latter camp. The title isperhaps a little misleading. Some of the authors do makeexplicit reference to integrated farming systems but mostdiscuss processes that occur in all arable ecosystems.Allowing that the title of the symposium itself might havebeen too journalistic for some tastes, a more illuminatingtitle might have been Arable Ecology. The current bookcould certainly form the basis of a useful textbook with thattitle.

The first paper, which discusses the linkages betweenagricultural and environmental policies using the EuropeanCommunity as an example, sets the context. Of the other 17chapters, approximately half are wide-ranging reviews whilethe rest are detailed descriptions of important recentexperiments and trials. Although the focus is practicalagriculture, the intellectual rigour of the parent theoreticalsciences is retained. The flavour of the book is given by thefollowing three chapter titles chosen at random: ‘weedcontrol in organic farming systems’, ‘effects of soilmanagement on cereal pests and their natural enemies’ and‘ecological aspects of integrated farming’.

The editors have managed to unify the chapters without

Book re�iews 527

compromising the diversity of approaches and styles. Unlikemany other conference proceedings, the book reads as if ithas been rigorously edited. Naturally, the quality of thepapers varies but the best are exciting and filled this reviewerwith enthusiasm for the subject. There are welcome crossreferences between the chapters and although the papers donot have abstracts or summaries, each has a concludingsection which is generally informative and can be used forrapidly scanning the contents.

A strength of the book is that it is strongly grounded inmainstream ecological thinking while at the same time it isrelevant to practical agriculture. In the comprehensive listsof references, Elton and Tansley rub shoulders with the newgeneration of agronomists. A wide range of methods isdiscussed, many of which involve quantitative methods andmodelling. A glance at the list of references, which unusuallyinclude publications in six languages (not including NorthAmerican English!), shows no obvious geographical biasbearing in mind that the farming systems being consideredare largely the moderately-intensive, arable systems of thedeveloped world.

The publishers and editors should be congratulated onthe quality of the book. It is well presented, the diagrams areclear and there are useful subject and species indexes.Although there are a few typographical and other errors,they are few enough not to compromise the integrity of thebook.

The book should be recommended, if not compulsory,reading for final year undergraduates and postgraduates inagriculture and ecology. Ecologists who believe that only‘natural ’ ecosystems are worth studying, agronomists whothink that all truth emerges from randomized blockexperiments and molecular biologists who believe that thestructure of the genome explains everything worth knowingmight discover something to their advantage within thesepages.

Reductionist methods have allowed rapid advances to bemade in areas of plant science such as molecular biology,biochemistry and physiology. Classic statistical theory hasput rigour into the description of results from agriculturalfield experiments. However, although there has been muchtalk about holistic science there is little sign of thedevelopment of a rigorous methodology for it. This book isa helpful contribution to that debate.

G. Russell

Marschner H. 1995. Mineral nutrition of higher plants.second edition. 889pp.London:AcademicPress, £29.95(paperback).

Devotees of Professor Marschner’s first edition will bedelighted with this updated version in which a larger formatpage has been used to provide a more attractive, betterorganised text. The book is a remarkable personal achieve-ment from several points of view. In every chapter ProfessorMarschner’s lively interest in his material comes across ;there are very few authors who could attempt to cover sucha wide range of topics so authoritatively. Another majorachievement is to have created a text which is accessible tothe undergraduate reader but which is also of value to

professional plant biologists who require backgroundmaterial and entry points into the current literature. Thishas been done by careful selection of examples from thepublished literature which are always appropriate and oftenself-explanatory, and by meticulous attention to bibli-ography (the literature citations fill 180 pages at the end ofthe book). The same helpful care has been taken in thepreparation of the really useful index.

The reviewer has been recommending this text toundergraduates since the first edition appeared; the newone, at just under £30 in paperback, is extremely good valueand ought to be affordable. The appearance of the newedition has been well timed to co-incide with a major revivalof interest in developmental and functional aspects of rootbiology. Molecular biologists of my acquaintance are veryglad to have this book pointed out to them as they seek toplace their new insights into a wider context. However,Professor Marschner stops short of introducing molecularbiological work on such topics as root hair and lateral rootinitiation and genes which might contribute to the success ofplants in exploiting soil resources in stressful environments.He does deal with these topics but at the level of classicalplant genetics. In fairness, it must be said that, much of theexciting new molecular genetics has appeared in the periodduring which the great task of preparing the new editionmust have been underway.

The book is divided into two sections; I, chapters 1–12 onNutritional Physiology and II, chapters 13–16 on Plant–soilRelationships. The original chapter titles and organisationhave been retained but, comparing the old and new texts,the reader will see that the order in which ideas and topicsare introduced has been changed to advantage, in severalplaces. This is true at the outset ; in my opinion, chapter 2on ion uptake mechanisms was the Achilles heel of the firstedition and has been greatly improved in the new one, theretention of the misleading correlation between general rootATPase activity and the transport of K+ across the plasmamembrane (Fig. 2.6), notwithstanding. The length of thesection dealing with mycorrhizas (Chapter 15) has beentripled and much up-to-date information can be found onthe mechanisms of infection and the cost of maintaining theassociations. It is very gratifying to see that ProfessorMarschner goes further than many authors with anagricultural background, in comparing the features of VAMand ectomycorrhizas.

There is also a brave attempt to clarify the relationshipsbetween mineral nutrition and the synthesis, transport andtissue sensitivity to plant growth regulators (Chapters 5, 6and 14). This has sometimes been done by failing to pointout some of the major areas of controversy, nevertheless, asomewhat less-than-clear picture emerges from all of this.This is a true reflection of the present position. There is,inevitably, a risk of circular argument since the supply ofmineral nutrients can affect growth through effects onmetabolism and protein synthesis. It has been notoriouslydifficult to separate cause and effect in many aspects ofhormonal physiology; it is unlikely that our comprehensionwill increase significantly until the actual molecular inter-actions between plant growth regulators, genes, metabolitesand structural elements have been clearly defined.

528 Book re�iews

In wholeheartedly recommending this book for bothstudent and professional use, one is struck by the thoughtthat, as biologists tend increasingly to become busy,overworked specialists in narrow fields, this may be the lastbook of its kind written by a single author. If it happens thatProfessor Marschner has had the ‘ last word’, this book is aworthy testament to the scholarship of a vanishinggeneration of scientists.

D. T. Clarkson

Mohr H, Schopfer P. 1995. Plant physiology. 629pp. Berlin:Springer-Verlag. DM 98 (hardback).

This fourth edition of a standard text on plant physiologyhas been expertly translated from the German by Gudrunand David Lawlor. The text flows without any apparentjarring and is certainly the equal, in that respect, of similartextbooks written originally in English.

The early chapters are concerned primarily with theoperation of the cell as the fundamental unit of the plantbody. This survey includes a basic consideration ofthermodynamics, membrane potential and enzyme kineticsin addition to cell structure, division and growth. Celldevelopment is discussed in terms of organelle morpho-genesis and intra-cellular communication. Photosynthesis iscovered in two main chapters, one of which examines thebiochemistry of the process, including some considerationof algal systems, and issues such as protection againstphotodestruction. The second chapter considers the broaderaspects of photosynthesis in relation to environmentalinfluences such as light, temperature and carbon dioxideand the control of stomatal opening. Modifications to thebasic C3 photosynthesis as exemplified by C4 and CAMplants, have a separate chapter devoted to them. Plantrespiration is also fully discussed, not only the fundamentalsof carbohydrate respiration and oxidative phosphorylation,but also the metabolism of fats in glyoxysomes and moreclassical topics such as the significance of RQ, thermogenesisand climacteric respiration. Mineral nutrition and carbonand nitrogen cycles receive rather brief treatment as does theformation of secondary plant products which is concernedprimarily with flavonoids and chlorophyll.

Whole plant physiology is allocated the remaining half ofthe textbook and covers a wide range of subjects within thegeneral area of regulation of plant growth and development.Classical morphogenesis is explored fully, including subjectssuch as alternation of generations, types of plant growthand pattern formation and differentiation (including leafphyllotaxy) which the purists may not consider the provinceof the plant physiologist. The detailed description ofmorphogenesis in Acetabularia could fall into the samecategory. The discussion of gametogenesis takes its examplesfrom the algal and fungal kingdoms whilst photomorpho-genesis considers case studies from both higher plants(phytochrome) and fungi (mycochrome). This use ofexamples from lower plants and fungi is to be welcomed inexposing the reader to the full breadth of plant physiologicalsystems. Case studies are also used to flesh out the survey ofplant hormones following an overview of the structure andmodus operandi of the five major plant hormones and hence

the danger of this important topic becoming a merecatalogue of facts, is avoided. The general area of growthphysiology is allocated three separate chapters, one on seedand bud dormancy and germination, one on flowerformation and photoperiodism and the third on senescence,principally of leaves and petals. Xylemand phloem transportare considered in separate chapters and, whilst transpirationand water transport receive quite detailed treatment,transport through sieve tubes is given only relatively briefattention. Physiology of movement includes not only theexpected subjects such as phototropism, gravitropism,tendrils etc., but also flagellar movement in relation tophototaxis of unicellular algae such as Euglena. Topics ofparticular relevance to current environmental changes suchas increasing levels of UV-B are included along with theimpact of stress—resulting from water restriction, high andlow temperature and disease—on the physiology of plants.Finally the more applied side of the subject is discussed inrelation to crop production, crop breeding and the use ofpesticides. The book concludes with a useful appendix of SIunits and constants and a full list of references (in additionto recommendations for further reading at the end of eachchapter).

The reader is left with the general impression of anextremely broad coverage of plant physiology in a singletextbook including areas which other texts would probablyexclude on the assumption that they were more correctly theprovince of cell biology or morphogenesis or algal}fungalphysiology. However, this more liberal interpretation ofplant physiology is to be commended since it encourages thereader to see the subject at both the cellular and organismallevel and to inter-relate the two. It also encourages a lookoutside a restricted range of higher plant examples which isall too common in modern biology, especially in theprovince of molecular biology. The drawback of thisapproach is that, in order to contain such a wide experienceinto a single textbook of sensible proportions, the treatmentof some topics must necessarily be rather brief. This is onlyapparent in a few cases e.g. physiology of phloem transport ;mineral nutrition; lipid biosynthesis and is certainly not amajor problem.

The authors have included a commendable quantity ofexperimental data, usually as case studies, which add anextra dimension to the otherwise bare statements of fact.Some of the diagrams are rather small but are nonethelessclear and allow economy of space. Certainly the large, oftenmulti-coloured diagrams currently popular in many bio-chemistry and cell biology textbooks are noticeably absent.However the necessary information is there and it iscommunicated with the minimum of fuss. The text is concisebut readable, though it is certainly not lightweight incontent. The readership level is probably second or thirdyear undergraduate rather than first year and it could alsobe usefully recommended to postgraduates in plant physi-ology as a valuable introductory text at the start of theirresearch project. It is in many ways a more classicaltreatment of the subject providing a wealth of informationfor its size but requiring some effort on the part of thereader.

T. W. Ford