Inducible gene expression: Vol. 1. Environmental stresses and nutrients [Book Review]

Abstract

Since the great insight of Jacob and Monod, it has been recognized that transcriptional control is the central regulatory event of virtually all cellular processes, be it growth, differentiation or functional activity. From the early examples of lac repressor and lambda repressor, the cast of characters involved in transcriptional control has grown to the point where it is quite appropriate that an entire series of books be devoted to ‘Gene Expression’. The number of ‘transcription factors’ is now in the many hundreds and sure to go into the thousands. The books presently under review look just at those factors that allow a cell to respond to external cues by inducing new gene expression. They are good books, containing articles written by active experimentalists, covering key issues like gene induction by hormones, stress, carcinogens, radiation and metals.