Book Review

From Heredity to Anatomy

Molecular Genetics of Sex Determination

N Engl J Med 1994; 331:885-886September 29, 1994

Article

Molecular Genetics of Sex Determination
Edited by Stephen S. Wachtel. 518 pp., illustrated. San Diego, Calif., Academic Press, 1994. $89. ISBN: 0-12-728960-7

The cloning of testis-determining factor from the Y chromosomes of mice and men has led to a flurry of research. Concomitantly, it has led to a flurry of new books on these endeavors. Dr. Wachtel's book is a collection of essays on sex determination and male reproductive development, from basic research on drosophila to clinical investigations. However, its greatest emphasis is on molecular genetic studies in mice and humans. As a student of the murine Y chromosome and male reproduction, I was able to evaluate in depth chapters such as “The Mouse Y Chromosome,” whereas chapters such as “Molecular Genetics of Androgen Insensitivity Syndromes in Humans” I read as an interested observer of the field. Overall this book is a good one, suitable for a select group of advanced readers working in areas peripheral to the field.

The book benefits from the fact that it is a collection of essays, the majority of which are by scientific leaders. One excellent feature is the inclusion of not one but two chapters on the anti-Mullerian hormone or Mullerian-inhibiting substance. Together, these chapters describe areas of consensus and dispute in ongoing research. Throughout, the book provides excellent references for the inquisitive reader, and it is well indexed.

Conversely, the book suffers because it is a collection of essays in which little editing has been done to standardize quality or aid the reader. A nonexclusive example of this is chapter 17, “Molecular Genetics of Steroid 21-Hydroxylase Deficiency.” After noting the difficulties in the nomenclature of the CYP21 genes and introducing the new suffix P for pseudogene nomenclature, the authors revert to the older and nonintuitive A and B terminology. Within this same chapter, and between other chapters, information is repeated, generating confusion about what is already known and what is novel. Some authors have prepared their figures with the rigor typical of a reviewed manuscript; others have been less exacting, and their figures lack the legends necessary for clarity. Some chapters paint with broad strokes, reviewing the present status of research and speculating about future directions in the field, but others convey the exquisite detail of an individual patient's genetic constitution. Finally, chapters may end with a very useful summary, or not.

In the preface, Wachtel accurately emphasizes the speed at which this field is moving. Given this fact, is it possible to put timely information in the hands of professionals in book format? To explore this question, I shall contrast chapters 3 and 10. The former deals with the murine Y chromosome, the latter with the human Y chromosome. The presentation on the murine work remains timely at publication, presumably because of the authors' access to unpublished data. However, the chapter on the human Y chromosome fails to mention important advances such as the physical map of the chromosome, which was published in 1992. The book jacket claims it “is prime reading for geneticists, developmental biologists, graduate students in these and related fields, clinical researchers, physicians, and medical students.” For myself, I would recommend it to those who understand molecular biology at a high scientific level but who do not require the most current information.

Elizabeth M. Simpson, Ph.D.
Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME 04609