Cellular and Biomolecular Recognition: Synthetic and non‐Biological Molecules. Edited by Raz Jelinek.

Abstract

review the use of immobilized ligands for proteomic applications (affinity chromatography, chemical microarrays), including an excellent compilation of case studies in which the successful identification of the protein target of a bioactive small molecule illuminated the underlying biology. This chapter also provides numerous examples for reactive proteomics. A more in-depth coverage of this blossoming field, sometimes also called activity-based protein profiling, would have been well within the scope of this book.Four more specialized chapters highlight selected applications of small molecule-protein interactions, including an excellent review on fluorescent probes for the in vivo detection of metabolites. Chapter 8 covers the medicinal chemistry of nuclear hormone receptor ligands and their successful translation into the clinic. Chapter 9 emphasizes the impact of small-molecule inhibitors on the understanding of cell motility. Chapter 10 outlines the metabolic engineering of glycoproteins and their subsequent modification with small-molecule probes.The individual chapters are generally well structured and well supported by references for further reading. The quality of the graphics is adequate, with additional colour figures where necessary. Since most chapters present more advanced techniques and/or specialized applications in chemical biology, a sound background in organic chemistry and biochemistry is absolutely required. Given the sheer breadth and diversity of topics that have developed at the interface between chemistry and biology in the past decade, Protein Targeting with Small Molecules does not claim to cover all aspects of chemical biology.Rather, it provides a concise and focused overview centred on how to address small molecule-protein interactions.As such, the book is well suited for advanced graduate students already dedicated to the field or for researchers from related disciplines who want to expand their background at the interface between chemistry and biology. It will be especially valuable to scientists with an interest in translational research and in the prospects of chemical biology towards drug discovery.