Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol. 51, No. 344, pp. 657,
March 2000
© 2000 Oxford University Press
Book Review
A.K. Sharma and A. Sharma. Plant chromosomes. Analysis, manipulation and engineering. Harwood Academic Publishers, Amsterdam, 1999. Pp. 371. Price £50 (h/b). ISBN 90 5702 387 3.
Not only has plant cytogenetics gone through something of a revolution during the last two decades, but those plant cytogeneticists that have survived this period have also gone through the equivalent of a rebirth. We now handle microfuge tubes as comfortably as microscope slides while I find myself consulting molecular biology textbooks more frequently than those on chromosomes. Most published works on chromosomes these days are likely to include in situ hybridization and the use of genetic markers. We even see papers that combine recombination studies and meiotic analysis in the same work! The range of subject matter the experienced authors have chosen to cover in this book reflects these changes. Indeed, the title hardly indicates the broad scope of this work.
In 21 chapters organized into five sections this book covers the protocols for seemingly everything; from quaint and obscure fixatives and stains to transformation, constructing a YAC library and microdissection. The book claims to cover ‘all the latest methods involved in the study of evolution, biodiversity, chromosome manipulation and engineering’. I believe it does. However, rarely is anything covered in sufficient detail that the reader could set about tackling a new technique from the schedules given. There is certainly merit in informing us of the gamut of approaches available to us these days, but what is the point of six pages describing the construction of a YAC library without reference to the original work. I would not undertake such a task based on the protocol published here.
Typically, on the synaptonemal complex, the SC itself is described in one short paragraph then serial sectioning is covered in one line. Three methods are given for spreading SCs, but with omissions that would make them impossible to use and only one is accredited to the original author. The sub-chapter on chromosome banding is much better. There is a general overview followed by a comprehensive collection of schedules, but again the original sources are not given. There is a good coverage of the various in situ hybridization procedures including DNA : DNA, RNA : DNA and immunological detection with reference to the original works.
Unfortunately there are few protocols in this book that I would wish to follow without referring to a more authoritative work. The authors have, with this book, attempted the impossible. And predictably have failed. Having read this book I believe there may be a need for a textbook that aims to inform us of all the various approaches available and what could be achieved by these approaches. However, a laboratory manual covering such a range of techniques would occupy a lot more than 371 pages. I suggest that any student or researcher wishing to find a procedure on fixing plant chromosomes should consult a specialist volume such as one of the earlier works by these authors. On in situ hybridization, there are several specialist manuals and there are excellent laboratory manuals on molecular genetic techniques.
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