by Peter R. Cook. Wiley-Liss (2001) 352 pages. ISBN 0-471-41538-3 £57.50
Reading the popular press these days one could mistakenly think that, with the sequencing of the human genome, most important questions in biology have been answered. But, as with most interesting science, these breakthroughs are merely a starting point to address even more challenging and complex problems. Maybe the most fundamental current questions regarding genomes are how are genomes organized in a cell nucleus and how are genes actually expressed inside a cell? Although cell biological studies of the nucleus have a long tradition, there are remarkably large gaps in our understanding of gene and genome function in vivo. Even more remarkable is the fact that there has been no definitive textbook on nuclear structure and function. Principles of Nuclear Structure and Function by Peter Cook now fills this void - and it does it thoroughly and profoundly.
The critical feature that makes this book a success is the discussion of nuclear processes in the context of nuclear structure. Events such as transcription or replication are not, like so often, reduced to simple processes that occur in a test tube, but they are put in their biological context as the complex events that they really are. The obvious, and often ignored, fact that they do not take place isolated from other biological events is at the heart of Principles of Nuclear Structure and Function.
Appropriately, the book starts out with an introduction to basic structural principles of cellular architecture, covering concepts such as scale, local concentrations, making of large structures and tensegrity. These are basic concepts that are often used or implied in cell biology, but it is rare to find a good description of them in the literature. The second chapter then applies these basic principles to the cell nucleus. Topics such as packaging of chromatin, chromosome territories and nuclear skeletons are discussed. These two chapters not only are a brilliant introduction for students, for whom this book is primarily written, but also serve seasoned ‘nucleists’ as a refresher on fundamental cell biological concepts and as a source of information on the basics of nuclear processes.
It is particularly laudable that Cook was not deterred from including numbers - in fact, lots of numbers - in his text. Numbers are often underappreciated in cell biology. Who knows how abundant one’s favorite protein is or how many transcripts of one’s favorite genes are present in a cell? As cell biology is increasingly merging with biophysics, numbers will become more and more important for cell biologists. Cook knows his numbers, and he uses them cleverly to convey the message that the nucleus is a complex structure and that by considering quantitative information we can gain fundamental insights into the inner workings of cells.
Following the introductory chapters, the major nuclear processes are discussed against the structural background provided in the early parts. These chapters cover replication, transcription, repair, gene regulation, the cell cycle and meiosis/recombination. While the latter two chapters are somewhat weaker, each covers its subject in depth. These chapters deal with the major nuclear functions, although others, such as rRNA processing or pre-mRNA splicing, are only mentioned in passing. It is also somewhat surprising that more space was not devoted to nuclear bodies, which represent the most obvious manifestation of nuclear structure.
Cook strongly promotes his view that transcription and replication sites are immobilized in the nucleus, which represents an alternative to the more commonly accepted postulate that polymerases move along their templates. This could be a serious problem, but the way the arguments pertaining to this issue are presented highlights one of the assets of this book. While most textbooks do not give the reader much choice and simply state how things are, Principles of Nuclear Structure and Function does not patronize, but rather equips the reader with information to evaluate various possibilities. Most importantly, it provokes critical thinking on the reader’s part. A feat only few textbooks accomplish.
Cook’s writing is clear, light and at times colloquial, but always exquisitely accurate. The sequence of his arguments is logical and simple. The text is broken down into short subheaded sections, and important concepts and techniques are explained in separate boxes. The references are carefully chosen and their number is pleasingly small, although a list of additional reading material, which is periodically updated, is available online. All these features make this book easy to read and the subject approachable. Those of us who have heard Peter Cook lecture, will distinctly hear him speak as they read this book. I occasionally found myself nodding my head or smiling as I was reading.
Peter Cook has written an important book. A book that many have been waiting for and a book that many, not just those interested in the cell nucleus, should read. The book provides the basic concepts and tools to understand the cell nucleus, and it captures much of the essence of the nucleus as we understand it today. It is an essential book.