Book Reviews
G. Sermonti: Genetics of Antibiotic-Producing Microorganisms. Wiley & Sons, New York 1969. VIII +389 p.; 130 s. This book has been written by an expert with the aim of presenting the present knowledge of microbial genetics understandable even without special knowledge of genetics. In the first chapter the significance of antibiotics in natural antagonism in the struggle for survival, biogenesis of antibiotics and its connection with other meta bolites, growth phases and sporulation, action on the bacterial cell wall, nucleic acid and protein synthesis are dealt with. Chapter 2 brings an excellent definition of clones, strains, population, generation, genetic variation and their kinetics, degeneration, in connection with yield improvement and control mechanisms with particular reference to Penicillium. Mutation of microorganisms is the scope of chapter 3 and deals with sponta neous and induced mutations and their selection as resistant, auxotroph and fermen tation mutants, chromosomal and genomic mutation and the metabolic effects of mu tations of structural and regulatory genes. The effects of selected mutagens in rela tion to dose and time are excellently described. Screening of microorganisms for new antibiotics or better yields is the topic of chapter 4 with details on probabilities of positive screening results depending on sample size, scaling up from laboratory experiments to the fermentation tank prop er, the use of genetic markers and choice and dosage of the appropriate mutagen. The chapter is concluded by a description of a classic model of a screening pro gramme. The next chapter is devoted to genetic recombination in moulds, giving details on segregation and recombination of genes, mitosis and meiosis, and the possible biochemical results of such recombinants. The life cycle of homothallic and heterothallic sexual moulds and their genetics, heterokaryotic and cytoplasmatic inherit ance is described using 2 model strains, viz. Neurospora crassa and Aspergillus nidulans. In chapter 6, the author explains the parasexuality in moulds using various strains of aspergilli as models. Diploidy in filamentous fungi, mitotic segregation and its mechanism, detection, isolation and classification of segregants and the methods of genetic mapping are well described. Chapters 8 and 9 give most valuable details on antibiotic producing streptomycetes, their genetic recombination and techniques for their analysis, mapping, sexual differentiation, as well as the importance of genetics for the production and im provement of yields of penicillin, cephalosporin and the tetracyclines. Chapter 7 is the only one dealing with bacterial recombination using Escherichia coli K 12 as model strain. The influence of mating on chromosome transfer, zygote formation and mapping, recombination with other bacteria (Shigella, Salmonella, Serralia, Pasteurella), conjugation with Pseudomonas, Serratia and Vibrio cholerae, episomal genetic transfer, transformation and transduction are the excellently des cribed topics.
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The understanding of all chapters is aptly supported by excellent figures, graphs, tables and mathematical evaluations. An appendix giving a list of symbols used for chromosomal loci in microorganisms is to be considered as an extremely helpful tool to the understanding of metabolic mutations, mutations concerning antibiotics and other mutations. In view of the well advanced knowledge of animal and plant breeding, this re view of the relatively young scientific field of microbial breeding definitely fills a gap by offering a concentrated insight and guide not only to industrial, but also to research microbiologists and mycologists. E. Schmidt, St. Gallen
A. Schnitzer: Wie entsteht die Krebskrankheit? Eine experimentelle und klinische Studie zur Klärung der Krebsentwicklung. Orell Füssli, Zürich. 260 p., 32 fig.; sFr. 27.50/DM 27.50. On the cover, the reader is informed ‘This book answers the fundamentally im portant question of how cancer develops’. Consequently, the book could be greeted as an epoch-making undertaking, an event for which doctors and patients have been waiting eagerly for years. Unfortunately, the contents of the book in no way come up to these exceptations. Cancer is the result of the epithelial cell gaining metabolic independence, ‘at the end of the described development a cell culture on a biologi cally torpid nutrient foundation’. This interpretation is by no means novel. What is original is the path that finally leads into this dead-end. In order to follow this, the author discusses in a long introductory chapter the regulative influences which ef fect the metabolism of the epithelial cell and determine the relationship between the epithelium and the mesenchyme. Histamine and noradrenaline are one pair of reins, and ‘cortisone and thyroid mechanism’ the other, which guide the metabolic func tion of the individual cell, the nutritive functions of the tissue and the complete state of reaction of the organism. This apparently simple basic conception is made even simpler in the course of the explanations so that the reader can finally concen trate his entire attention on the behaviour of histamine. Histamine provides the acti vating impulse for the epithelial cell, switches on the mesenchyme reactions neces sary for a correct cell symbiosis and strengthens this. If the histamine activation is thwarted or the histamine neutralized, the result, according to Schnitzer’s concept, must be the most serious local metabolic disturbances. The final result of these is cancer. That is the quintessence of this book. Prerequisite for this apparently mono maniac way of thinking is the attempt to establish some connection between hista mine and all the substances or cell systems that influence the development of carci noma. Cancerogens operate through histamine suppression. Lymphocytes and plas ma cells are portrayed as histamine stores. Compared with this, the immunobiological functions of these cells retreat completely into the background. The currently valid idea on the production and function of antibodies does not fit into Schnitzer’s model at all. The reader is informed ‘Only antibodies against histamine have any significance’ and, in the author’s view, ‘the still prevalent dogma of antigen-antibodyreaction’ is incorrect and only hinders ‘the understanding of the true biological process’. As everything apparently depends on histamine and a lack of histamine is the final cause of carcinogenesis, treatment of cancer patients should be possible
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Book Reviews
through the application of histamine. In animal experiments, by repeated intramus cular injections of histamine (diluted 1:10,000 or 1:100,000) together with stabilized procain, the author succeeded in breaking up cancer cells in various stages of devel opment. In the author’s opinion, this stands out as a promising method of treat ment. All previously customary forms of therapy (with the exception of operative removal) are not only ineffective but even wrong. X-ray treatment and cytostatics have the effect of histamine inhibitors and, therefore, increase the cancer growth. In addition, the reader learns to his astonishment that antibiotics also owe their effica cy to an antihistaminizing effect, their ‘direct influence on the bacteria’ is certainly gratifying but of secondary importance. Mention need not be made of the fact that hardly any proof for these kinds of speculation can be supplied. The author’s own meagre experiments are extremely inexact and given cursory treatment. References are only given so far as they can be interpreted to fit into the author’s own theories. The reviewer does not consider it likely that the path taken by Schnitzer can open up new perspectives for cancer re search. H. Begemann, Munich
C. Simon und W. Stille: Antibiotika-Therapie in Klinik und Praxis. Mit Geleitworten von H.-R. Wiedemann und W. Siede. 1970. XIII + 361 p., 23 fig., 42 tab.; DM 44.-. The physician may find it rather difficult today to keep abreast with recent de velopments concerning therapy with antibiotics and chemotherapeutics. Quick infor mation is often essential to decide upon optimal therapy, but to obtain such infor mation from voluminous textbooks may be time consuming, particularly when trade names may obscure the generic relations. The authors of this recent publication succeeded in concentrating all pertinent information on antibiotics and other chemotherapeutics, their range of activity and mode of action, application and optimal dosages, giving full consideration to possi ble side effects and state of resistance among microorganisms. Another comprehensively detailed chapter deals with infectious diseases, their optimal therapy with the appropriate antibacterial history, during pregnancy, of the newborn and in organic insufficiency. Impressive reference is also made to mistakes in and failures of antimicrobial treatment and to the problem of hospitalism. This book with its concentrated informations certainly fills a gap and ought to be found among the reference books not only of German speaking physicians, but should be made accessible on a broader scale by translation into other world lan guages. E. Schmid, St. Gallen
L. J. Chinn, P. D. Klimstra, J. S. Baran and R. Pappo The Chemistry and Bio chemistry of Steroids. Geron-X, Los Altos, Calif. 1969. This book consists of the reproduction of a series of lectures presented to the School of Pharmacy of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, by a group of 4 scientists from the G. D. Searle Company, which introduced Enovid to
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the public and thus became the first major producer of orally effective contracep tive drugs. No small task confronted these men when they dealt with the request to offer their experiences in the form of lectures to students. The book is evidence that they met this task more than adequately. One may question, however, to what degree these very advanced and complicated lectures were understood by the students for whom they were prepared. To lecture to students is one thing, to formulate the knowledge acquired in the intensively competitive world of specialists, another. The effort represented to establish contact between industry and the university must be highly commended. Yet the advanced quality of the lectures presented makes the book, in and of itself, of value only to specialists in this field. For such, it will certainly offer a mine of information of greatest value. It can scarcely be re commended to the beginner in this field. This book shows clearly the expanding gulf between the universities and in dustry. The latter has found it possible, on financial grounds, to gather to itself many of the minds which formerly considered university association a necessity to their pride. The general tendency of such men to choose work in the better-paid and teaching-of-undergraduates-free environment of industry cannot be lightly disre garded. The exchange of highly technical information, to which this book makes a significant contribution, must be welcomed by all involved in science at any level whatsoever. Yet the paradoxes of this book raise most clearly the question of uni versity-industry relations, which will doubtless become a matter of increasing con cern to each party. Let us hope that time will bring an increase of intermingling be tween the two; this book, even if it seems to show a lack of sympathy for students on the part of the industrial scientists, should be welcomed as a faltering early step in this direction. R. Krause, Binningen