Cellular microbiology - Journal of Cell Science

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colour plates and the inclusion of some nice electron micrographs. Summary ... reflects the revolution that has occurred in this field. In other words, the science.
BOOK REVIEWS

Cellular microbiology: an integrated approach to understanding pathogenesis of infection

Cellular Microbiology by P. Cossart, P. Boquet, S. Normark and R. Rappuoli ASM Press (2000) pp. 392. ISBN 1-55581-157-4 $75.95

The term ‘cellular microbiology’ was coined by the editors of this book in 1996. Since then several volumes and journals addressing this subject have been produced and Cellular Microbiology is a valuable contribution

Phagocytosis, a cell biology view Advances in Cell and Molecular Biology of Membranes and Organelles Volume 5 - Phagocytosis: the Host edited by Alan M. Tartakoff; volume editor, Siamon Gordon JAI Press Inc./Ablex Publishing Corp. (1999) pp. 521. ISBN 1-55938-999-0 $147.50

Over the last few years, cell biology has

3355 to an exciting field. In studying the pathogenesis of infectious diseases it is clear that an understanding of the interaction between the host and the pathogen requires a knowledge of both and here we have an excellent source of information for the integrated study of microbiology and cell biology. The first two chapters are a useful general introduction to the two subject areas and will be particularly useful for scientists of the ‘opposite’ discipline i.e. microbiologists will find the cell biology section particularly useful and vice versa. The chapters then progress through the encounter of the pathogen with the eukaryotic cell, from the interactions occurring at the cell surface, the mechanisms of attachment and the interaction with the cell cytoskeleton, to the action of bacterial toxins and the consequences of these interactions. Although the book relates mainly to the interaction of bacteria with the host there are also many interesting discussions on parasites and some fungi. Later chapters describe the interaction of pathogens with the immune system, covering the use of bacterial products as tools in cell biology and describing some of the underlying methodology involved in cellular microbiology; there are also interesting chapters on Type III and Type IV secretion systems. As with any textbook in a rapidly expanding area there is a danger that the information contained will rapidly become dated. This may apply especially to the chapters on secretion systems which are the subject of intense research effort. The chapters are all relatively short and can be read as stand alone ‘mini-

reviews’ of the area. This will be very useful for students studying these areas.

become a dominant approach in several disciplines of the life sciences, including the study of phagocytic cells! Before, with exceptions, the science of phagocytosis had often remained descriptive, with microbiologists providing detailed descriptions of the various types and stages of internalization and killing or survival of the pathogenic microorganisms, and immunologists providing an exhaustive description of the complex processes of microbe degradation, antigen processing and presentation following the phagocytic process per se.

in this field. In other words, the science of phagocytosis is now dominated by an analytical approach based on deciphering the signals that carry out each of the critical steps of the process. Edited by a master of the discipline, in 21 chapters, this book – with great justice dedicated to the late Zanvil A. Cohn – covers the molecular and cellular aspects of phagocytic processes in a logical progression. The best specialists in the field have risen to the challenge.

Phagocytosis: the Host excellently reflects the revolution that has occurred

Cellular Microbiology is very well written and readable. The contributors are all experts in their respective fields and manage to communicate a sense of excitement that will be particularly valuable for readers relatively new to the area. The appearance of the book is enhanced by high quality diagrams and colour plates and the inclusion of some nice electron micrographs. Summary boxes provide useful background information relevant to the area being discussed; selected readings at the end of each chapter provide a good starting point for those wishing to find further information; however, there is no extensive referencing in the text, which may be a problem for the more specialised reader. Overall, this is an excellent textbook. I am sure it will serve both as an essential teaching aid for undergraduate cellular microbiology courses (which are becoming increasingly common) as well as for graduate students and other researchers in this expanding area. The editors and contributors are to be congratulated on producing such a wideranging and readable book. I am sure it will both consolidate interest in the area as well as recruit new members to the group of people who are fascinated by the study of cellular microbiology. Tim J. Mitchell Infection and Immunity, University of Glasgow, UK

Four chapters are devoted to receptors, certainly representing one of the best and most exhaustive current reviews of this field. Of particular interest are the recent developments on scavenging receptors

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BOOK REVIEWS

with regard to phagocytosis of both microbes and apoptotic bodies.

survival. A coevolution.

In the next three chapters, signalling makes a spectacular entry: our knowledge of the molecular mechanisms that regulate the cytoskeleton is exponentially increasing and finds here its perfect niche. To this section might have been added the chapter entitled ‘The Phagocytic Actin Cytoskeleton’, which appears in the next section of four chapters devoted to ‘the pathway’, in other words, the maturation of phagosomes. Here again, progress has been tremendous in understanding the logics of maturation pathways and we are very much looking forward to the next volume Phagocytosis: the Microbes, which will show how these microbes can perturb, to their profit, phagosomal maturation in order to ‘carve’ a niche which permits their

The last five chapters form a section (Responses) that encompasses most of the effector mechanisms that link the phagocytic event to the immune response, a domain that dictates the subtle transition between the innate and the adaptative immune response. The antimicrobial mechanisms of phagocytic cells are largely described here, including antimicrobial peptides, in often overlapping chapters. This does not matter at all because, again, the best specialists have gathered to produce a single chapter and the science presented is of the highest quality.

A concise yet informative stroll through matrix metalloproteinases and TIMPs

Ever since Gross discovered that collagenase was responsible for resorption of the tadpole tail, there has been a small group of outstanding scientists that have dedicated their careers to the study of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). The family of MMPs has now grown to over 20, and they have been implicated in multiple biological processes drawing the attention of scientists of many disciplines. Two leaders in the field who have ushered in the modern era of MMP biology are Fred Woessner and Hideake Nagase and they share their expertise in Matrix Metalloproteinases and TIMPs. In a concise, yet thorough manner, these authors provide the basic biochemical and biological basis for the study of MMPs. This information, laced with a strong sense of historical perspective, is conveyed in the same interesting manner in which they educated this reviewer and many others over late night scotch at MMP Gordon Conferences.

Matrix Metalloproteinases and TIMPs by J. Frederick Woessner and Hideaki Nagase Oxford University Press (2000) pp. 223. ISBN 0-19850268-0 £35.00

splendid

example

of

So, altogether, this is a splendid contribution that will represent a keystone in the fast moving field of phagocytosis. If this reader had one

For the interested novice, one will come away no longer needing a score card to keep track of MMP-1 through MMP-22 (perhaps more by now). One will understand which cells produce which MMPs and TIMPs in response to which stimuli. The reader will understand the

criticism, it would be the illustrations. For a field that is extremely prone to rich illustrations, figures are generally scarce and grey, and the reproduction of the electron microscopy images is generally poor in definition, brightness and contrast. This should not deter anyone interested in the field from acquiring this volume and its brother volume on interactions with microbes. No doubt this, for the years to come, will be a reference text for phagocytosis. Microbiologists, immunologists and cell biologists, both students and senior scientists will find here updated information and all the relevant and most recent references (up to 2500). Philippe Sansonetti Insitut Pasteur, Paris, France

multiple levels of regulation of MMP activity through gene transcription, proenzyme activation, and inhibition by TIMPs. The book is filled with readable tables depicting important concepts in classification, evolution, and substrate specificity. The authors provide extensive key references for further reading as only they can. The only area not extensively covered is the rapidly emerging in vivo function of MMPs that comes from transgenic and gene targeted mice and animal models. Perhaps this will be the sequel to this primer. As the biological role of these enzymes expands and it becomes more difficult for scientists to ignore MMPs, this book provides a meaningful and painless way to become fluent in the field. Upon completion of the text, readers will feel comfortable incorporating MMPs into their research endeavors. Hopefully this work will spark investigators to ask how these enzymes relate to one’s own research interests thus broadening our general biological knowledge. Steven D. Shapiro Dept Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, USA