Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture 76: 97–99, 2004. 97

Book Reviews

Herman, E.B.: Recent advances in plant tissue culture In the past two or three decades, plant biotechnologyVII. Regeneration and Micropropagation: Tech- has emerged as a new, exciting area in plant science.niques, Media and Applications 1999-2002. Mohegan The book under review is a textbook for students, butLake: Agritech Consultants, 2002, 141 p., US$ 83.00. also scientists will find the information very helpful. It

covers all aspects of biotechnology dealing with plantA wealth of results on plant tissue culture is published tissue culture, secondary metabolites, molecular biol-each month, not only in journals on applied plant ogy, genetic engineering and also patenting. I foundbiotechnology such as Plant Cell Tissue and Organ the text occasionally outdated. For example, the chap-Culture, but also in various plant physiological, mo- ter on somaclonal variation does not deal with recentlecular and agricultural journals. For most researchers ideas, in particular on the role of methylation; theit is virtually impossible to deal with all this in- chapter on crypreservation does not cover new de-formation. In his journal Agricell Report, Ed Herman velopments such as the use of alginate beads; andpresents short summaries on papers that are interest- there is nothing on transcription factors. Admittedly,ing from the tissue culture point of view. Once per 2 it is virtually impossible for a single author to coveror 3 years, he collects these summaries in volumes as all the fields and omissions or somewhat outdatedthe one under review. These volumes deal with all parts are inevitable. In all, the book does a very goodaspects of plant tissue culture and summarize data of job. I particularly liked the short descriptions ofpapers on diverse topics as which vessel to use, how experiments. Whether they are carried out by theto cope with hyperhydricity, phytomediation etc. In readers or not, they are excellent, vivid illustrations ofcontrast with normal reviews, Herman’s book is not a the main text.continuous story. His book is rather a collection ofshort summaries, which each can be read individually. Geert-Jan de KlerkHerman does not add extensive interpretations or Lisse, the Netherlandsfurther backgrounds. For readers who want to knowmore details, the journal-references are given. Her-man has ordered the summaries in a logical andpractical way according to the topic. Tissue cultureresearchers who go through the book, will always findmany issues that they can very well use in their own

Duong Tan Nhut, B. Van Le, K. Tran Thanh Van andresearch: This book is highly recommendable forT. Thorpe (eds.): Thin Cell Layer Culture System:tissue culture researchers.Regeneration and transformation applications. Dor-drecht, Boston, London: Kluwer Academic Pub-Geert-Jan de Klerklishers, 2003, 517 p., ISBN 1-4020-1207-1 (Hard-Lisse, the Netherlandsbound). » 175.00; US$ 172.00; GBP 110.00.

For progress in science, model systems are of utmostimportance: Arabidopsis is now providing plantChawla, H.S.: Introduction to Plant Biotechnology.biologists with such a classic model system. Thin cellEnfield and Plymouth: Science Publishers Inc., 2003,layers (TCLs) are having such a role in plant tissue538 p., ISBN 1-57808-228-5 (Paperback). US$ 34.00.

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culture, in particular in the study of adventitious I.K. Vasil (ed.): Plant Biotechnology 2002 andregeneration. The term TCL is used to describe tiny Beyond. Dordrecht, Boston, London: Kluwer Aca-explants excised longitudinally or transversally from demic Publishers, 2003, 619 p., ISBN 1-4020-1126-1plants. TCLs consist usually of only few tissue types, (Hardbound). » 185.00; US$ 181.00; GBP 118.00.viz., epidermis and subepidermis, or leaf veins andleaf blade. They may be taken from stems, leaves, This book, which focuses almost exclusively on plantflowers, bulbs etc. The TCL system was developed by molecular biology and transformation, is based on the

thTran Than Van in the early 1970s, working with Proceedings of the 10 IAPTC&B Congress, held inflower bud regeneration from epidermal strips of Orlando, Florida, 23-28 June, 2002. It consists ofNicotiana tabacum. After that, TCL-explants were summaries of 10 plenary lectures of ca. 8 pages eachexcised from many species and various types of and of keynote and offered contributions of ca. 4organs. Unfortunately, though, the extensive studies pages to the 17 symposia covering biotic and abioticon TCLs have not lead to much progress on the resistance, genomics, gene expression, silencing andunderstanding of the mechanisms underlying regene- targeting, the cell cycle and cell division, embryo-ration. The lack of such a level of research is most genesis and regeneration, fruit and seed biotechnol-likely due to both the stubbornness of the processes ogy, flower biotechnology, space biotechnology, bio-under examination and the general attitude of re- pharming, improvement of nutritional quality, forestsearchers which is often very practically oriented. biotechnology, phytoremediation and phytochemi-

The book under review presents a wealth of results cals, biotechnology of turf and forage crops, proto-obtained with TCLs and concerns horticultural, phys- plast, anther and embryo culture, biotechnology regu-iological, biochemical and molecular levels. Circa lation, public policy and societal acceptance andhalf of the chapters deals with TCLs in important biotechnology in developing countries. In total therespecies or groups of species, such as lily, cereals, are 126 contributions.grasses and fruit crops. The other half is on general Inevitably, conference proceedings are uneven withprinciples. In the latter it is not always clear where the contributions ranging from extended abstracts withauthors are aiming at. A chapter-title ‘‘Cells: func- little data to mini reviews and reports of originaltional units of Thin Cell layers’’ is vague. Occasion- research. Unfortunately, 5 of the plenary lecturersally, there is considerable overlap between these failed to submit manuscripts. These proceedings pres-chapters. This makes the book difficult to use as a ent an interesting overview of research activity in thereference work. The register is not very helpful. field and of the shift in plant biotechnology from theHaving interest in this item, I wanted to reread sec- descriptive to the analytical phase. Despite the pace oftions on the role of ethylene in regeneration from increase in our knowledge of plant molecular biologyTCLs, but the term ethylene was absent in the register. there is still the conflict between the European UnionUnfortunately, the present book does not offer much and the rest of the world over the acceptance ofto somehow bring the many results together in a genetically modified organisms which is referred to,conceptual frame. somewhat controversially from a European Union

Although the book seems rather complete, there are perspective, in the contributions of Vasil and Am-missing items. This reviewer has worked himself for mann.some time on a TCL system to study adventitious Prof. Vasil is to be congratulated on getting theserooting. This system consists of slices of ca 1 mm proceeding out within 8 months of the holding of thethick cut from stems of microcuttings and has been conference. Many of the plenary and keynote lecturesused by 5-10 research groups. It has delivered some present interesting insights into the topics covered,knowledge on the mechanisms underlying adventiti- based on the opinions expressed. Other papers presentous root regeneration but unfortunately, reference to preliminary reports of novel approaches and newthis system is missing. However, summarizing so target genes. This combination provides an interestingmany of the results obtained with TCLs, this book is overview of plant biotechnology for members of thean essential acquisition for the library of tissue culture IAPTC&B and others who were unable to attend theresearchers. congress.

Geert-Jan de Klerk Alan CassellsLisse, the Netherlands Cork, Ireland

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C. Perrot-Rechenmann and G. Hagen (eds.): Auxin impaired in an auxin response has greatly helped toMolecular Biology. Dordrecht, Boston, London: unravel the many questions about the mechanism ofKluwer Academic Publishers, 2002, 426 p., ISBN auxin action in plants. For example, one of the new1-4020-0646-2 (Hardbound). » 59.00; USD 54.00 insights about auxin action concerns the important

role that ubiquitin-regulated protein degradationThis books reports on the progress that has been made seems to play. Also many auxin response mutantsduring the last decade in the field of auxin research. were found that contained mutations in genes codingDuring an EMBO workshop held in May 200 on the for transcription factors or for repressors of auxin-island of Corsica researchers from all over the world regulated gene expression. Furthermore, the impor-gathered to discuss and present their latest results tance of auxin transport by so-called auxin import andfrom the auxin field. The articles in this book have efflux carrier proteins for plant development is beingbeen published in an issue of Plant Molecular Biology highlighted in this book.(Vol. 49, nos. 3-4, 2002) and now this issue is Therefore this book will be a valuable resource notpublished as a book. The review-like articles describe only for researchers working in the field of planta broad range of subjects, ranging from auxin metabo- hormones or plant development, but also for a widerlism, auxin transport, auxin perception, auxin-reg- audience that are interested in the molecular biologyulated gene expression, auxin signal transduction and of one of the oldest classical plant hormones whosecross-talk between auxin and other signaling path- working mechanism has kept scientist busy for overways in plants. hundred years.

This book nicely illustrates the tremendous pro-gress that has been made in this field after the intro- Kees Bootduction of the powerful technique of Arabidopsis Leiden, the Netherlandsgenetics. The use of mutants that are in some way