Regulation of Enzyme Synthesis and Activity in Higher Plants [antikvár]

PrefaceThe shape, function and activities of all organisms are determined by the genetic information encoded within the nuclear and organellar DNA. The responsible agents for the expression of genetic information are the ultimate gene products, the enzymes and structural proteins. Through the organized regulation of the formation, degradation and activity of enzymes and structural proteins, both in space and time, the cellular and organic structure of the organism is built up and its physiological properties are developed. A clear understanding of the development and behaviour of multi-cellular organisms is thus dependent on a detailed knowledge of the mechanisms underlying the regulation of enzyme synthesis and activity.In recent years, outstanding advances have been made in this area, at least in respect of micro-organisms and some animals. The situation regarding plants, however, has been less encouraging. To the developmental enzy-mologist, plants simultaneously offer challenging theoretical opportunities, and daunting technical problems. It was in order to bring these opportunities and problems together, and thus perhaps to provoke new interest and provide some solutions, that the Symposium upon which this book is based was organized.The concept of the Symposium, which was held in both the Botany School, and Pembroke College, Oxford in April 1976, under the auspices of the Phytochemical Society, was to spend the first half of the available time outlining what is known of enzyme control in plants and describing some of the areas where much remains to be learnt, with the second half devoted to the principal technical problems and suggestions of how they may be overcome.Thus, ostensibly at least, Chapters 1 to 9 describe various aspects of the regulation of enzyme synthesis, degradation and activity in higher plants as affected by internal and external factors, whilst Chapters 10 to 15 cover the technical problems and their solutions. In fact, as was expected, the actual Chapters are in all cases broader than the original conception and thus an excellent coverage has been achieved; many of the "theoretical" chapters include technical suggestions of value, and the "technical" chapters reveal a number of theoretical issues of considerable importance.As programme organizer, I was delighted and gratified at the success of the Symposium; as Editor I was similarly pleased that the authors were not more than usually dilatory in submitting their manuscripts. I would like to record here my debt to the members of the Phytochemical Society Committee (Professor J. C. Friend and Professor T. A. Swain) and others (Dr C. B.