f. Plant Physiol. Vol. 143. pp. 125-128 {1994}

I. M. Morrison (editor): Advances in Plant Cell Biochem-istry and Biotechnology. Vol. 1, 274 pages, Jai Press L~d., London and Greenwich (1992), (ISBN 1-55938-357-7). Pnce: 53.00 pounds sterling.

The book is the first volume of a future regular «Research An-nual» which, according to the editor's remarks, will concentrate o~ «biochemical and biotechnological aspects of the plant cell». Th1s new series is aimed to report on the advances in the applicatio~ of the understanding of biochemical processes in plants for practical purposes and on the use of plants and _Plant product~ as renewable raw materials to provide us not only wuh food, protem and energy, but also with vitamins essential micro-nutrients as well as second-ary plant metabolites a~d plant fibers as a source of pharJ?aceut~cal products, textiles and paper. In view of such a bro~d top1c. the first volume of this «Research Annual on Plant Cell Bwchem1stry and Biotechnology» deals with five very diverse reviews.

The first chapter «Biochemistry of Plant Lipids» by J. L. Har-wood and G. Griffith reports on the present knowledge of fatty acid biosynthesis, on metabolism of glycosylglycerides as chloro-plasts' main lipids, on phospholipid metabolism and triacyl~lycerols as the plant's storage lipids. The chapter is excellently wntten (by two experts) and provides valuable information (all major aspects of the plant's acyl lipids). Since all other plant lipids such as prenyl-lipids (prenylquinones, prenylvitamins, carotenoids and sterols) are excluded however, the much too broad title «Plant Lipids» should have been restricted to «Plant Acyl Lipids», in order to reflect the real content of this chapter. With a «note added in proof» the au-thors try to list up some newer advances in plant acyl lipid bio-chemistry after 1989. This list, however, is not quite complete. The second chapter of this book «Genes Encoding Seed Globulins in Leg-umes» reviews on the molecular heterogeneity, structure and organ-ization of seed globulins and globulin gene expression and repre-sents a very useful survey of this fast developing field. Th~ third chapter by P. D. G.: Wilson and M.J. C. Rhodes «Pla~t Cell Bwreac-tors» is a valuable basic introduction to the properties of plant cell cultures in relation to fermentation and also reports on reactor de-velopments for plant cell cultures, suspension and immobilized cul-tures as well as organ cultures. Chapter 4 «Tannins, their Biochem-istry and Nutritional Properties» deals with th~ biosy~thesis of tannins based on gallic acid and on flavanols, their chem1cal struc-ture, their function in plants and their interaction with other mole-cules such as proteins and polysaccharides, but also includes infor-mation of toxic effects of some dietary tannins and defense re-sponses in animals. The last chapter «Gelling Agents (Pectins) from Plants for the Food Industry» reviews in an excellent survey the oc-currence, structure and extraction of the various pectins and related substances of the cell wall of various plants, the modification of the plant raw materials to yield industrial pectins and their application as food additives and gelling agents.

All chapters are written by experts in their field and thus provide first hand information on the diverse topics treated. Though most chapters are supplied with more than 200 references, they represent short and precise introductory reviews which are easy to read. The main literature is considered up to about 1989/1990 in this book, this should and can certainly be improved in future books of this se-ries. It seems to be the particular intention of the editor to provide surveys of recent advances in plant biochemistry and bi?tech~ol~~ for a broad readership, rather than fully comprehensive sc1enuftc

Book Reviews

reviews for specialists. This intention should be continued in the fu-ture «Research Annuals,.. The book can generally be recommended to libraries, to scientists and also to graduate students in all fields of biology. The price, however, is too high and the publisher should aim at a much lower price for future books in this series.

Hartmut K. Lichtenthaler, Karlsruhe

C. J. Pollock, J. F. Farrar, A. J. Gordon: Carbon partition-ing within and between organisms. Environmental Plant Biology Series, BIOS, Oxford 1992. (ISBN 1-872748-95-3). Price: 43.00 pounds sterling.

Recent information on the issue of regulatory mechanisms in car-bon partitioning are selected from the material of the meeting or-ganized in 1992 by the Environmental Physiology <?roup of the So-ciety for Experimental Biology. The book covers w1de range of cur-rent research on key processes in carbon metabolism from cellular to whole plant level, and includes the area of partitioning control in associations of organisms, too. Regulation of sucrose synthesis, its modification under impact of different environmental factors is re-viewed, together with characteristics and significance of interspe-cific variation in partitioning strategies. Advances in research on pathways and mechanisms of phloem loading are discussed, with particular emphasis on the relationship between minor vein config-uration and mode of phloem loading, together with evolutionary aspects of these morphological differences between families. Eco-physiological significance of apoplastic versus symplastic pathw~ys of phloem loading are discussed. Mechanisms in turgor regulatiOn are reconsidered with emphasis on the involvement of apoplast so-lute levels. Examples of sucrose transport and turgor regulation in source and sink organs are given. Through the example of the po-tato tuber concepts of sieve-element unloading, phloem transport, and variation of regulatory mechanisms in maintenance of turgor pressure gradient are reconsidered as well as the relative importance of symplastic solute transport and role of plasmodesmata in phlo~m unloading. Clarification of current terminology in phloem loadmg and unloading is also given in form of descriptive definitions. Syn-thesis of storage starch in non-photosynthetic tissues in connection with the above transport events is discussed. Advances considering relationships between cell morphology and carbon metabolism in the legume nodule are described. Regulation of carbon partitioning at the level of whole plant during development is resynthesized in a hypothesis highlighting the importance of the relationship between gene expression modification and sucrose metabolism in interre-lated control of shoot and root growth. Characteristics in regula-tion of carbon partitioning in parasitic associations with emphasis on sink strength modifications are also given. Interesting topic of photosynthesis and assimilate distribution in molluscs feeding on algal fronds is revised. Advantages of using carbon-11 isotope in phloem studies are detailed, with explanations of some related ex-perimental techniques, data analysis and possible applications in re-search of source-sink relations. Summarizing recent knowledge on wide range of topics in carbon partitioning, the volume highlights the possible new directions in this area of research.

Zold.n Tuba, Godollo