Download Inzé D. 2000. The plant cell cycle. 244 pp. Dordrecht: Kluwer

Annals of Botany 88: 665±666, 2001
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Book Reviews
doi:10.1006/anbo.2001.1504
Inze D. 2000. The plant cell
cycle. 244 pp. Dordrecht:
Kluwer Academic Publishers. £69.00 (hardback).
During the 1990s, plant cell
cycle research (the life of a cell
from mitosis to mitosis via the
so-called G1, DNA synthesis
(S), and G2 phases) experienced a boom time. Application of molecular techniques
led to the discovery of cell
cycle genes, and the employment of mutants began to resolve links between cell cycle
genes, growth and development. The appearance of this
volume is therefore timely to capture this renaissance period.
The book is a reprint of a supplement to Plant Molecular
Biology 43 nos 5 and 6.
Space does not permit a detailed analysis of the 16
refereed papers so I shall give my perceived highlights. The
®rst two papers (Baskin, followed by Tardieu and Granier)
outline kinematic methods of tracking cell cycle kinetics in
meristems; they tend to denigrate `tracer' methods. Basically, the kinematic approach involves marking cells
(usually epidermal ones), watching where they go over
time and then making deductions about cell cycle kinetics.
The tracer methods use radioactive precursors or colchicine
to monitor the ¯ow of cells from phase to phase. I share the
authors' worries about colchicine; if it is to be used, data
can only be interpreted on a comparative basis. However, I
do wonder whether these di€erent approaches should be
regarded as mutually exclusive. Most cell cycle data point to
G0-G1-S phase transition as a key regulator of the cell cycle
regardless of the technique used. I ®nd this quite salutary.
The next paper covers cell division in shoot apical
meristems (Traas lab). It is a balanced account of the role
of the cell cycle in shoot apical development. The authors
present data on both sides of the fence and conclude, fairly,
that the jury is still out on the extent to which cell cycle
controls are overtly linked to developmental ones. This is
followed by a paper from the Inze lab on cyclin dependent
kinases (CDKs) which is a good up-date on what is known
about CDC2a (G1/S) and CDC2a and CDC2b (G2/M). A
paper from the Dudits lab covers CDK-cyclin activity at the
G2/M and M-phases. The authors report some very nice
results showing a CDCF kinase in alfalfa which seems to
bind speci®cally to the preprophase band (PPB) and
phragmoplast. The next paper is multi-authored but led by
Renaudet in his quest for a better classi®cation system for
plant CDKs. This is a tough task because there are so many
0305-7364/01/100665+02 $35.00/00
plant CDK homologues and nomenclature changes from
journal to journal. They propose that for example, cdc2aAt
( from Arabidopsis) is renamed as Arath;CDKA;1 where the
digit represents the chronological discovery of the gene for
that species. The terminology is a bit cumbersome; CDKAat
is simpler ( personal view). The Murray lab reviews plant Dtype cyclins and excellent data are described linking the G1/
S transition (regulated by D cyclins) to both growth and
development. The next paper (Durfee, Feiler and Gruissem)
covers plant homologues to the Retinoblastoma (Rb)
protein. Rb ties up a transcription factor (E2F) required
for the G1/S transition. When Rb is hyperphosphorylated,
E2F is released, and the G1/S control point is satis®ed.
There is considerable overlap between this paper and the
previous one. Next comes a paper on histones from the
Iwabuchi lab. New data are presented on cis-acting
responsive elements in histone promoters. Nicole ChaubetGigot presents a beautifully comprehensive review of A-type
cyclins, but again I wondered about overlap with other
papers; Nicole's paper is dedicated to the late Claude Gigot
who is fondly remembered by many plant cell cyclists. It is
followed by a typically thorough review by Masaki Ito on
the rises and falls of B-type cyclins during the cell cycle. The
Vantard lab reviews cytoskeletal changes during the cell
cycle with particular reference to the PPB and microtubuleorganizing centres. The next paper deals with MAP kinase
cross talk with the cell cycle. I regard cell signalling work as
fascinating but reading about the MAP kinases, MAPKKs
and MAPKKKS as dull as dish-water. However, I really did
enjoy this paper (Bogre, Meskiene, Heberle Bors and Hirt).
Congratulations to Lazlo, Erwin and Heribert for keeping
me awake and for providing some exciting speculation about
interfaces between plant growth regulators and the cell cycle;
the way to go! Nacry, Mayer and Jurgens deal with
cytokinesis. I particularly enjoyed the section on special
modes of plant cytokinesis (e.g. endosperm cellularization).
Joubes and Chevallier cover endoreduplication. Their
review is balanced. They are wise to remain cautious about
the true signi®cance of these puzzling cell cycles where cells
miss out mitosis and increase their nuclear DNA, they are
most prevalent in determinate organs or determinate cell
lineages. Next is a paper that deals with cell cycle activation
by nematodes. I felt that there was too much about
nematodes and not enough about endogenous cell cycle
genes. This is followed by a review of Gemini viruses. The
question is can Gemini viruses do for plant DNA replication
studies what T-antigen did for mammalian S-phase? The
answer is currently no, but in the future, yes. The paper is a
good account of Gemini and let's hope it is a good prelude
to the predicted yes. Finally, there is a paper by Foucher and
Kondorosi on cell cycle regulation during nodule formation
in alfalfa. It is interesting that nodule development can
# 2001 Annals of Botany Company
666
Book Review
interact with the plant cell cycle in so many ways and the
paper is a nice overview.
Dirk Inze has performed a Herculean task in assembling
these papers and ensuring a very high level of scienti®c
excellence throughout. Who should read it? This is not a
book for the generalist. Indeed, it is not a book that you
would read from cover to cover unless, like me, you are
obsessed with the plant cell cycle. It is undoubtedly a must
for plant cell cycle research labs and should be acquired by
libraries. It is perfect for graduate students setting o€ on
plant cell cycle research, and if they talk nicely to close
relatives it may ®nd its way into their festive stocking
providing it is a big one.
Dennis Francis
# 2001 Annals of Botany Company
doi:10.1006/anbo.2001.1505
Zohary D, Hopf M. 2000.
Domestication of plants in
the Old World. 3rd edn.
316pp. New York: Oxford
University Press. £19.95
(softback).
This is the third edition of a
fascinating book that provides a further update, re®nement and clarity to our
understanding of the origin
and spread of cultivated
plants in the Old World. For
this book, the Old World is de®ned as encompassing West
and Central Asia, the Mediterranean basin and temperate
parts of Europe.
Following a brief chapter dealing with sources of
evidence and archaeological and dating methodologies,
the reader can then enjoy seven chapters dealing with
cereals, pulses, oil and ®bre crops, fruit trees and nuts,
vegetables and tubers, condiments and, ®nally, dye crops.
Within these broad groupings each crop has a general
introduction followed by sections dealing with wild
ancestry and archaeological evidence. Treatment is not
even, re¯ecting in part the interest of the authors and the
di€ering levels of available knowledge. The book bene®ts
from a substantial bibliography but it should be noted that
of the new archaeo-botanical literature quoted as contributing substantially to our knowledge, and in part
justifying a new edition, almost 20 % can be accounted for
by a very limited number of key compendium and
competitor volumes published since the last edition.
Similarly, the dependence on archaeo-botanical literature,
whilst understandable, does not re¯ect much of the current
literature on the use of molecular techniques to help
determine evolutionary relationships.
Overall the book is well written and produced. However,
there are a number of minor typographical slips and inconsistencies in relation to scienti®c names which are a nuisance
particularly when both types of error occur together.
Anyone interested in the evolution of crop plants will have
an interest in this book. This would include researchers
dealing with New World crops as there is much to be learned
from both groups. The level would suit advanced undergraduates and graduate students taking courses in crop
evolution who have a general understanding of genetics and
introductory botany.
W. Spoor
# 2001 Annals of Botany Company