Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Plant Hormones
Buy a book... In Association with Amazon.co.uk
Author(s): P. J. J. Hooykaas, M. A. Hall and K. R. Libbenga (Eds)
Publisher: Elsevier
ISBN:  0 4448 9825 5
Format: hardback
  541pp
Price: £132.33
Review Date: May 23, 2000
Review: This is Volume 23 in the New Comprehensive Biochemistry series. It provides an up-to-date overview of the fast-moving field of plant hormone research in the context of biochemistry and molecular biology, and biosynthesis, metabolism and mechanisms of action, in particular. In the last decade great progress has been made in the field of molecular genetics, particularly with Arabidopsis. This has led to the confirmation that various substances such as brassinosteroids are indeed hormones and, importantly, it has succeeded in identifying receptors and elements in transduction chains. The 23 chapters, each written by acknowledged experts in the field, are divided into three sections. The first, 'Introduction and methodology', describes the nature and functioning of plant hormones and methods of research. The second section, 'Control of hormone synthesis and metabolism', includes auxin, cytokinins, gibberellin and ethylene biosynthesis. The last section, 'Hormone perception and transduction', includes: molecular approaches to studying hormone plant signalling; perception and transduction of ethylene, and hormonal regulation of ion transporters - the guard cell system.