The latest volume in this series covers a wide range of topics and organisms. Among the areas discussed are the genetics of photoperiodism in plants, developmental genetics of Drosophila, chromosome structure and function, and the genetic basis of disease spanning human disease, relevant mouse models, and gene therapy. The purpose is to provide review articles on topics of current interest in genetics. The volume, like its predecessors, will be useful for students, faculty, and laboratory personnel and lends itself to use for background and preparation teaching and research environments. The articles are accompanied by black-and-white and color illustrations that are well designed and informative. The chapters are well written and informative, with numerous citations to the primary literature. The references are pertinent and include articles published in 1996. It should be in the library of every institution and in the offices of most professional geneticists.
This is a single topic book, devoted to the organization, structure, and function of polytene chromosomes. This is the last of three volumes (in conjunction with vols. 34 and 37) devoted to polytene chromosomes. In this volume the organization of chromatin in polytene chromosomes is reviewed, as is transcriptional activity, including puff formation, Balbiani rings, and nucleoli. There is also a section on DNA replication in polytene chromosomes, and an evaluation of the literature on molecular organization and expression of the ribosomal RNA genes. Bench scientists and graduate students are the intended audience. There are ten sections rather than chapters, beginning with some general background information, and ending with DNA replication. Each section is subdivided into subsections, but this organization is not reflected in the table of contents, making it difficult to find a description of specific topics. The massive amount of work done by the editors would be more evident if the sections had been divided into chapters, with a detailed table of contents for each chapter. The index is useful, and most topics can be found there, but unfortunately, the overall framework of the book is hidden by the cursory table of contents. This organizational quirk should not deter anyone from using this comprehensive volume. In addition to the text, there is a wealth of illustrations in the form of photographs and diagrams, as well as an extensive array of tables. Many of the photographs are accompanied by interpretative drawings that help illustrate the point. The book contains 146 pages of references, and in conjunction with the earlier volumes is perhaps the most comprehensivebibliography on the literature of polytene chromosomes ever assembled. Extensive references published in English, German, Russian, and several other languages is are included. Anyone working on chromosomes, from bench scientists to graduate students, will want to have this important reference on their bookshelf. It is doubtful that another review of this caliber will be published soon.
Reviewer: Michael Cummings, PhD (University of Illinois at Chicago)
Description: This is a single topic book, devoted to the organization, structure, and function of polytene chromosomes. This is the last of three volumes (in conjunction with vols. 34 and 37) devoted to polytene chromosomes.
Purpose: In this volume the organization of chromatin in polytene chromosomes is reviewed, as is transcriptional activity, including puff formation, Balbiani rings, and nucleoli. There is also a section on DNA replication in polytene chromosomes, and an evaluation of the literature on molecular organization and expression of the ribosomal RNA genes.
Audience: Bench scientists and graduate students are the intended audience.
Features: There are ten sections rather than chapters, beginning with some general background information, and ending with DNA replication. Each section is subdivided into subsections, but this organization is not reflected in the table of contents, making it difficult to find a description of specific topics. The massive amount of work done by the editors would be more evident if the sections had been divided into chapters, with a detailed table of contents for each chapter. The index is useful, and most topics can be found there, but unfortunately, the overall framework of the book is hidden by the cursory table of contents. This organizational quirk should not deter anyone from using this comprehensive volume. In addition to the text, there is a wealth of illustrations in the form of photographs and diagrams, as well as an extensive array of tables. Many of the photographs are accompanied by interpretative drawings that help illustrate the point. The book contains 146 pages of references, and in conjunction with the earlier volumes is perhaps the most comprehensive bibliography on the literature of polytene chromosomes ever assembled. Extensive references published in English, German, Russian, and several other languages is are included.
Assessment: Anyone working on chromosomes, from bench scientists to graduate students, will want to have this important reference on their bookshelf. It is doubtful that another review of this caliber will be published soon.
"Outstanding both in variety and in the quality of its contributions." —NATURE
"Can be highly recommended to geneticists, and biologists in general...will prove to be of high importance for the development of the science of genetics." —SCIENCE
"The high standards of the Advances series of Academic Press are now almost taken for granted. The new volume matches up to the revolutionary and all-embracing developments in genetics that have occurred over the last few years." —SCIENCE PROGRESS
"This text would be of interest to geneticists, botanists, developmental biologists, molecular biologists, and other interested individuals." —BIOLOGICAL ABSTRACTS
