Book Review

This volume conws ;:s no esception to the high standards niaintnineci by the

AcaJcni_v tix- pihlicntion 01‘ its international conkrences. There Clir’ t\Vo ni:~jor st‘c- lions_ Isoelectric lbcusin g anci Isotachopiioresis. i\itll~~LI~il these giants cover the major portion 01~ the book;, two small xiditionul SfXtIOIiS m-t‘ i-ound_ One contains articles 011 niultiphasic ame clcctrophoresis and Focusing in continuous-flo\~ systems. The iinal section concludes \vith ;I panel discussion.

Thirty-one contributed papers, in t:a:o stctions, cover tlic topic of isoelectric

Ixxsinf. lkxiics l-or this section dcvclop tioni tlicoretical considerations. through studies c>f‘tlit‘ propr‘rtics ofampll~~l~t~s. to practic;il var2atior;s nl‘static and COiitiilLlO?IS

islwlcctric separations of a variety of proteins and polynucltotidss. Stabilization of rhc muph>line grariicnt receives considerable practical trt‘atmcnt by the ciilkrent

authors. It is gratit&ing to we the valtic 01‘ the technique 01‘ iiwusing in continuous pdy2crylanG_it2 gel since its intrductiar: in 1965. Sonic esccllcnt t\~a-Jinirnsional

wls 01‘ crtdc proteins are shnvn. = using polyacr~laniids lixxsing, lbllinicc! by 5tarcli gel to gain ;i siccond dinicnsion For gt-notypic mapping. This procedure st’enis to bc 01‘ promise in scvcml important biological clucstions. At the otlxr Ci?d iil‘tilc scale. SC;lI;t

attention is $vcn to stuciics of scpartitions of‘ oligopcptiries or oli~onuclcoticics. It

wwld iiavc also been liclpli~l to hvvc had :i contribution on the drtcction of‘separatd niolwulcs to assist the nmu)nicr in gaining 3 niort‘ full perspective. Tlwsc are niI1:or points. thougli. tiw thers is ;i \vcaltli dinlbrmation in the 11 S pages covering isoelectric tixxsing. hch article is usually \\cll supplied with diagrams and reti-rcnces to LIiC - Iiteraturc. S~xiit‘ kg~3xiS art‘ dclicient in cspr‘rinicntai &rail. bul this can alien he supplir’ci bv rcthencc to anothtx m tick

It is fitly years since isotacliupliorcsis v.2 _ IS introJi~cec1 3s 311 cspr‘riniental

scptlr:ttion n?ctlmd bawd upon iok mobiiity. About as many pages a?; years cover

the subject licrr. cniphsizin g the riiiticultics 01‘ prrtcticnl Jcvelopnient and interpreta- tion_ Contributors sllow esccilent separations 01~ Small cations_ resolution being lost 3s the theme dcvclops roux& protein separation. X closing paper 011 preparative isotachopharc~is of‘serum proteins mxs untbrtunatsly not submitted For publication.

III the last t~vo sections \ve lid that 1269 bulk systrms are t‘stractrd liom ;t digital computer but the authors do not describe detailed tests en ens system. On the

other hid. continitotts-flo\~ tlicory is esaniinai practically in detail. The tinal discus- sion. To~~-m-d.s cm el~~c-rrol,lrot-~~ric- &wpoinr. makes interesting rcaciing particuhrl~- if omz txiovs the benelits of the Classical Tripes. _. -

In ccxxlusion. it is ciitficult to do justice to this vol~~me, \vhicl~ SI~OLIIC! be rexi by tirox 1% ho iisc the tecimiqiics. Doubtless the Jcdicxtion to Arnc Tiselius nilI brl-

\videly apprcci:wci_ There is sonwtlli~L, -0 Iiw cvervone within these covers, the nm-e

304 BOOK REVIEW

particularly would I recommend a perusal of the gel pictures to those who insist on submitting pictures of smeared and blackened gels to the literature. Regrettably, the price will probably prevent the book from appearin, 0 on many laboratory sIx4ves.

Cudx-ic~~~~ (Grwt Brituirt) NICEL HARDING