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| Biosynthesis. Polyketides and Vitamins | Buy a book...
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| Author(s): | F. J. Leeper and V. C. Vederas (Eds) |
| Publisher: | Springer |
| ISBN: | 3 540 66969 8 |
| Format: | softback |
| 193pp | |
| Price: | £27.00 |
| Review Date: | 23 May 2000 |
| Review: | Since the 1950s there have been two revolutions in experimental techniques which have completely transformed the understanding of chemical and biological relationships between highly diverse natural products. The first was the use of isotopes to label precursors and follow key atoms during biochemical transformations to the final product. The second was the development of methods of identifying, purifying and genetically manipulating the individual enzymes that are responsible for the intricate steps leading to complex natural products. This book is concerned with discovering the chemical pathways of biosynthesis. The first chapter covers the application of isotopic method to secondary metabolic pathways. In the second chapter the authors explain the individual steps by which non-aromatic polyketides are assembled and illustrate the genetic and biological studies which have led to a detailed knowledge of the machinery that manufactures complex antibiotics like erythromycin from the short chain precursors such as propionate. Chapter three describes the new genetic and enzymatic investigations which provide our current mechanistic understanding of biosynthesis of over twelve vitamins and enzyme cofactors. The last chapter discusses the biosynthesis of vitamin B12. |