Jan, Lily Yeh

Elsevier - Publisher Connector 

Ion Channels—Molecules in Action 

Cell, Vol. 89, 829±830, June 13, 1997, Copyright 1997 by Cell Press
Book Review
Ion ChannelsÐMolecules in Action
Ion Channels. Max DelbruÈck used to remind us that, when we want
By David J. Aidley and Peter R. Stanfield. to explain something, we should always assume that
New York: Cambridge University Press. (1996). 307 pp. the listener has zero knowledge and infinite intelligence.
$29.95 paperback; $80.00 hardcover. Aidley and Stanfield came close to fulfilling Delbruck's
demand, as they gave clear and concise introduction to
the physics, chemistry and molecular biology used for
Since the discovery of ion channels in excitable mem- ion channel research. For example, tobegin a discussion
branes of the nervous system, ion channels have been of electricity they did not neglect to say that ªcharges
found in practically every eukaryotic cell type that has of the same sign repel each other and those of the
been studied, as well as in some prokaryotes. In addition opposite sign attract each other.º Nor did they simply
to signaling in the nervous system, other cellular func- mention thesefacts as ªjust soº; referencesare provided
tions that involve ion channel activities include regula- for the curious and just about enough background is
tion of the flow of salt and water across epithelia, control given for the terms and concepts central to studying the
of the release of hormones such as insulin, and regula- workings of ion channels. Whereas this feature should
tion of cell volume, migration, differentiation, and cell make their book popular among undergraduate stu-
death. dents, what distinguishes this book from standard text-
Key to the physiological function of an ion channel is books is the inclusion of some details of the experimen-
its ability to allow only certain ions to go through, only tal design, so as to allow the reader to have a better
under particular circumstances. Remarkable under-
feel of how the studies were done and how the abstract
standing of these two aspects of channel function, per-
theories emerged from the data.meability and gating, has been achieved in biophysical
An emphasis of this book is on molecular approachesstudies.
of ionchannel studies. The authors have done a fantasticHow can a calcium channel allow only Ca21 ions to
job in presenting a balanced view and in pointing outgo through even though Na1 ions are of nearly the same
unsettled areas. As expected for an active field, how-size and are much more abundant under physiological
ever, new developments (e.g., determination of the ClCconditions? How does a potassium channel select for
chloride channel subunit stoichiometry) appear at athe larger K1 ions over the smaller Na1 ions, given that
steadfast pace since the printing of this book last year.millions of K1 ions stream through the channel in single
The reader should also remember that for certain topics,file in a second so that there is less than 1 ms of interac-
such as the mechanism for the muscarinic suppressiontion between the channel and a K1 ion?
of the M current, the jury is still out. As true for allHow do ion channels control the electrical potential
successful modern textbooks, this book can only aimacross the membrane? How are the activities of voltage-
at providing the foundation, so that the reader will begated ion channels controlled in turn by this electrical
potential? prepared to catch up on the latest from reading review
How do ion channels gauge the energy level and con- articles and research papers.
trol insulin release accordingly? What are the mecha- What makes this new book accessible is that the entire
nisms for neurotransmitters to alter ion channel activi- book deals with one issue: how ion channels work. It
ties? How might ion channels in intracellular membranes leaves out questions concerning the physiological roles
be signaled, for example, to release calcium from inter- of ionchannels, for example, in processing and transmit-
nal stores? ting signals of the nervous system. One obvious sugges-
Which ion channels are targeted by valium and barbi- tion for additional reading is Bertil Hille's classic, Ionic
turates and how are they affected by these compounds? Channels of Excitable Membranes ([1992] Sinauer Asso-
What about the dihydropyridines used to treat heart ciates, Sunderland, Massachusetts), a book which has
diseases and hypertension? Or the sulphonylurea drugs had tremendous impact over the ion channel field. In
used to treat diabetes? this era of genome projects where one may come across
How were answers to these questions formulated at
channel sequences more readily than clues to the func-
a time when all that the biophysicists had were glass
tion of these channels, one could first consult the Ion
electrodes, bottles of salt, a plethora of toxins that or-
Channels book for a more up-to-date treatment of stud-ganisms of all five kingdoms have used to modify ion
ies of cloned channels, and then go to Hille's book forchannel activities, and the biophysicists' own analytical
further ideas concerning channels of known functionpower? How have the various theories progressed since
but unknown molecular structure.the cloning of several families of ion channels?
These are just a sample of the questions that one may
have but might have been afraid to ask in a casual way,
Lily Yeh Janfor fear of confronting an unfamiliar field that abounds
Howard Hughes Medical Institute andwith jargon, along with the unfriendly look of some equa-
Departments of Physiology and Biochemistrytions and wiggly traces. The new Ion Channels book by
University of California, San FranciscoDavid J. Aidley and Peter R. Stanfield offers an easy
and smooth initiation. San Francisco, California 94143
Cell
830
Books Received
Bona, C., and Bonilla, F. (1997). Textbook of Immunology, 2nd Ed.
Harwood Academic Publishers, Amsterdam. 407 pp. $29.50.
de Boer, A.G. (1997). Drug Transport Across the Blood Brain Barrier.
Harwood Academic Publishers, Amsterdam. 219 pp. $95.00.
Graham, J.M., and Rickwood, D. (1997). Subcellular Fractionation:
A Practical Approach. IRL Press, New York. 332 pp. $110.00.
Leung, D. (1997). Superantigens. Marcell Dekker, New York. 600
pp. $195.00.
Marks, A., and Taubman, M. (1997). Moleuclar Biology of Cardiovas-
cular Disease. Marcel Dekker, New York. 530 pp. $195.00.
Mononen, I., and Aronson, N. (1997). Lysosomal Storage Disease.
Chapman and Hall, New York. 197 pp. $89.95.
Naegeli, H. (1997). Mechanisms of DNA Damage Recognition in
Mammalian Cells. Chapman and Hall, New York. 210 pp. $89.95.
Roberts, D., Sharp, P., Alderson, C., and Collins, M. (1997). Evolu-
tion of Microbial Life. Cambridge University Press, New York. 299
pp. $115.00.
Rouabhia, M. (1997). Skin Substitute Production by Tissue Engi-
neering. Chapman and Hall, New York. 241 pp. $89.95.
Rubanyi, G. (1997). The Endothelium in Clinical Practice. Marcel
Dekker, New York. 551 pp. $195.00.
Testa, N., Lord, B., and Dexter, T.M. (1997). Hematopoetic Lineages
in Health and Disease. Marcell Dekker, New York. 376 pp. $150.00.
Turner, P.C. (1997). Ribozyme Protocols. Humana Press, Totowa,
New Jersey. 492 pp. $69.50.
Zanetti, M., and Capra, J.D. (1997). The Antibodies, Vol. 2. Harwood
Academic Publishers. 258 pp. $65.00.


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Ion Channels—Molecules in Action

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