Author Description

The 2004 edition of the annual series collects the results of recent research on the genetic mechanisms at work in bacteria, plants, and animals. The longest of the 27 articles discuss the biosynthesis of pigments in the unicellular alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, the analysis of microphtalmia transcription factor (Mitf) function, and mitochondrial genome structure and evolutionary trends within phylogenetically coherent protist groups. Other topics include mobile group II introns, the genetics of maize evolution, light signal transduction in higher plants, integration of adeno-associated virus (AAV), recombination proteins in yeast, and genetic analyses from ancient DNA. Several color illustrations are provided. Annotation 2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR