BOOK REVIEW Sorin Sonea and Maurice Panisset: A New Bacteriology, Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Inc., Boston, Massachusetts and Portola Valley California, 1983; 140 pages, 32 figures, Index; ISBN 0-86720-024-3 $12.00 (Clothbound); ISBN 0-86720-025-1 $8.00 (Paperback) The authors have written a seminal work of systematic and general bacteriology which represents the leading edge in the conceptualization of the prokaryotic 'Universe'. Traditionally, bacterial and all prokaryotic cells were regarded as somewhat flawed living entities with an incomplete genome. It was thought that they achieved adaptive radiation by evolving into very narrowly specialized species which were thought unable to leave their ecosystems. In this traditional view there were a very large number of extremely primitive bacterial species which, apart from some morphological features, did not have much in common. The above description of bacteria has been in existence for over 60 years and indeed, bacteriology as a subject was not considered terribly exciting. In addition, due to the prevalence of infectious diseases in the late 19th and early 20th century, bacteria were regarded as enemies and their larger role in the biosphere was generally neglected. There were some anecdotal observations which suggested that there is more to prokaryotes than meets the eye. Indeed, soil bacteriologists have described for many years teams of different bacterial species working in concert in certain ecosystems. However, these observations remained the specialized domain of the soil scientists and no further generalizations were made. Drs. Sonea and Panisset have completely rejuvenated classical bacteriology. In 1971, Broda had raised the question, why did not prokaryotes evolve into prokaryotic Metazoa or Metaphyta with long-term division of labour between cells, since they succeeded in evolving, under the guise of their innumerable 'species' all major kinds of bioenergetic processes. The authors of this book have confronted directly this question and state that indeed, bacteria and prokaryotes in general do form a planetary clone which can be regarded as a giant metazoan. They maintain that within this planetary clone, all bacteria, irrespective of their 'species' can freely exchange genetic information between each other. Thus, it has been known for some time that each prokaryotic cell contains facilities, probably specialized receptors for accepting genetic material from other cells and each cell 'broadcasts' its own genes for the benefit of its sister cells. The bacterial genetic pool is regarded by the authors as a computerized data bank where specific information (genes) can be retrieved and freely utilized. In this scheme of things, the classical bacterial systematics do not make much sense; in some ways, it would be the equivalent of categorizing for instance human liver cells and human red blood cells as different species of living beings. The hypothesis of Drs. Sonea and Panisset has important evolutionary implications. Prokaryotic evolution is non-Darwinian due to the extreme 'plasticity' of their genome and to the constant and efficient inter-strain genetic communication. This prokaryotic Origins of Life 15 (1985),217-218.

218 evolutionary scheme shows that there are evolutionary strategies which, though unfamiliar to us, are nevertheless extremely successful and that prokaryotic unicellularity has a far higher survival potential than has eukaryotic multicellularity. The volume consists of 6 chapters which cover the discipline of bacteriology from its history to the topic 'Bacteria and Mankind'. It is written in an easy style which renders it interesting to students, generalists and specialists alike. Though it is a slim booklet, it treats a very extensive subject matter. I believe this work is right at the leading edge of science and should be required reading to all biologists, biochemists and physicians. Reference Broda. E.: 1971, ~BioenergeticEvolution',in E. Schoffeniels(ed.), BiochemicalEvolutionand the Originof

Life. North-Holland,Amsterdam,pp. 223-235. Lab. Endocrinologie, H6pital Notre-Dame, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H2L 4K8

THOMAS SANDOR