Introduction to Protein Structure'. An excellent textbook on protein and nucleic acid structures. The authors are experienced scientists and writers and the book has been extremely successful for undergraduate courses introducing biochemistry, and in particular structures of macromolecules. Although the focus is on protein structures, it covers extensively nucleic acids and is one of the best updated text books on transcription factors DNA binding proteins. Like any text book in this field, it experiences a rapid out of data fate in face of the rapidly accumulating protein structures (see Protein Data Bank). While it is important in this field to present the newest insight into research progress, the fundamental principles behind macromolecular structures in cells have been established several decades ago. One of the most important aspects, relevant to the understanding of genomic information available now from the sequencing efforts underway, is the relationship between sequence and structure, and thus function. The reader will get an excellent introduction into this problematics and why it is still an active and often disputed part of biochemistry, biophysics, and molecular biology. The book does not include metabolic biochemistry, molecular biology, or any physiology. But an additional CD contains instructional material on how protein structure function relationship can be visualized. 

August 19, 2000 /  © 2000 Lukas K. Buehler / go back to Book Review Home