N 48 TIBS - March I979

of active-site residues by specific inhibitors can be a great help, particularly when combined with an X-ray picture and identification of which residue is attacked. And finally, kinetic studies, the final arbiter in any case since they study the reaction on the time scale at which it occurs, can identify the catalytic groups on the protein from the pH variation of various kinetic parameters.

There are still many unanswered ques- tions about how enzymes work. How do they catalyze such rapid and facile forma- tion of carbanions, for instance? The rate of progress is quickening, however, and the answer to this and other questions can confidently be expected in the not-too- distant future. It is an exciting time to be an enzymologist and watch the elegant chemistry of enzymes unfold before your eyes. Enzymology -dead? Not on your life!

W. WALLACE CLELAND

Professor Cleland is in the Department of Bio- chemistry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, U.S. A.

The intron’s introduction

Even more meteoric than the rise of molecular genetics (TIBS editorial November 1978) has been the use by. its practitioners of the word ‘intron’. Seldom can a word of scientific jargon, in itself quite unindicative of its meaning, have been adopted so widely in the litera- ture without a blush or an inverted comma. In mid-1977, the existence of intervening sequences of DNA which do not appear translated in the mature mRNA was recognized and became widely known.

In February 1978 W. Gilbert first used the word ‘intron’ in print to describe these sequences (Nature 271, 501). By midsummer, introns were sprouting everywhere, though often referenced or in quotation marks. By the end of the year (see TZBS November 1978 issue) not even quotation marks were needed. A few hardy souls stuck to the informa- tive but stodgy label ‘intervening sequences’ but the snappy intron was in, although its fate is to be excised after translation. Gilbert’s other coinage, the ‘exon’ (the DNA sequence which is not excised after translation) has, however, not caught on in the same way. Who would want to have their DNA confused with the world’s largest oil company?

Trends in Biochemical Sciences

PUBLISHED BY THE INTERNATIONAL UNION OF BIOCHEMISTRY AND ELSEVIER

March 1979 Volume 4. No. 3

Contents Enzymology -dead? by W. Wallace Cleland Future Trends: Long-term aims of malaria research by W. H. Wernsdorfer Biochemical use of free energy changes by C. John Garratt

Reply: by Barbara E. C. Banks and Charles A. Vernon Timeliness and promise. in the development of biochemistry Nomenclature notes by P. Karlson and H. B. F. Dixon IUB News Emerging Techniques: Ion pair partition reversed phase HPLC

by Milton T. W. Hearn and William S. Hancock Textbook Errors : SAM - semantics and misunderstandings

by C. F. A. Bryce Letters to the Editor

N 47 N 49 N 52 N 53 N 54 N 55 N 56

N 58

N 62 N 63

Reviews Conformation and molecular biology of polypeptide hormones Part I:

Insulin, insulin-like growth factor and relaxin by T. L. Blundell - 51 Microbial exopolysaccharides by I. W. Sutherland 55 Improving the efficiency of alcohol production with respiration-deficient

yeast mutants by M. Bacila and J. Horii 59 The in vitro assembly of microtubules from purified brain tubulin

by Serge N. Timashef The biosynthetic pathway of the asparagine-linked oligosaccharides of

glycoproteins by R. J. Staneloni and L. F. Leloir Prostacyclins, thromboxanes and cardiovascular disease by J. Martyn Bailey 50 Years Ago: The synthesis of haemin by A. Treibs

6.1

65 68 71

Book Reviews N 67

Noticeboard N 68

F;;$n-Chief: J. Tooze, EMBO, Postfach 102240. 69 Heidelberg 1, G.F.R. Tel. Heidelberg (06221) 383031, Telex

Stat? Editor: Steve Prentis, 14A Regent Street. Cambridge CB2 I DB. U.K. Tel. Cambridge (0223) 59787, Telex 81623. Editorial Board: R. L. Baldwin, Stanford, G. Bernardi, Paris, R. A. Bradshaw, St. Louis, K. van Dam, Amsterdam, R. L. Hill, Durham, M. F. Utter, Cleveland, A. R. Williamson, Glasgow, and K. Yagi, Nagoy&.

Trenda in Biecbemical Sciences is published monthly (one volume per year) by Elsevier/North-Holland Biomedical Press, 335 Jan van Galcnstraat, Amsterdam, for the International Union of Biochemistry. Personal subscriptions U.S. $33.50/DR. 75.00 per volume including postage and handling. Application to mail at Second Class Postage rate is pending at Jamaica. N.Y. Meacham Avenue, Elmont, NY1 1003.

Airfreight and mailing in the U.S.A. by Publications Expediting Inc., 200 Tel. (516) 352-7300.

A&tisement enquiries: U.S.A./Canada: Joseph Bourgboltzer, Inc., Thk JBI Building. Box 521, Mahwah, New Jersey 04730. U.S.A. Phone 201-529-3883. Other countries: TIBS Business OtTice, 14A Regent Street, Cambridge CB2 IDB, U.K. Tel. Cambridge (0223) 59787, Telex 81623.

@ 1979. Elsevier[North-Holland Biomedical Press. AN rights reserved. No pari of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or other- wise, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner and the International Union of Biochemistry. Submission to this

journal of apaper entails the author’s irrevocable and exclusive authorization of thepublisher to collect MY sums or considwoti~ns for copying or reproduction payable by third parties (as mentioned in article 17, paragraph 2 of the Dutch Copyright AW of 1912 and in the Royal Decree of June 20.1974 (S. 351) pursuant to article I66 of the Dutch Copyright Act of 1912) and/or to act in or out of Courr in connection therewith. Trends in Biochemical Sciences is apolitical. The views and opinions expressed by its writers and correspondents do not necessarily reflect those of the editorial board or the publisher.