Overview

Genes & Signals analyzes gene regulation from a new perspective. The first chapter describes mechanisms found in bacteria, and two subsequent chapters discuss which of these is most highly exploited in higher organisms. A final chapter relates these molecular strategies to other enzymatic processes, including those involving kinases, RNA splicing enzymes, proteases, and others. A general theme emerges, one that proposes how a rather restricted set of signals and enzymatic functions has been used in evolution to generate complex life forms of different types.

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A compelling and deeply conceptual work about how biological reactions are regulated... What this book provides is a guide to the concepts that form the framework for the gene expression field. The concepts allow students to understand the context of the facts and apply this information to their own studies. Students who are lucky enough to read Genes & Signals won't be slithering out of transcription seminars in 30 years, when our field has been condensed to an in silico version of an intermediary metabolism wall chart. Nature Genetics This book should win a wide readership, especially among young people intrigued-but not satisfied-by entry-level biology courses. Applying simple principles to the dazzling particularity of gene expression, Genes & Signals will give students a glimpse of the beauty and fascination of molecular biology. This book should also be required reading for professionals who (like the reviewer) learned their biology without being initiated into the mysteries of lac and l gene regulation. We 'already knew that,' perhaps. But the lesson is easy to forget as we trudge through blizzards of genomic and proteomic information. It helps to be reminded, yet again, how complexity creates itself by combining small numbers of simple mechanisms. Current Biology In Genes & Signals, Ptashne and Gann have written a unique book that is driven by ideas and broad concepts, yet is based on solid information. It is accessible to undergraduates with some knowledge of biology, yet it is also valuable to experts in the field. I highly recommend it. Nature

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