The Organic Chemistry of Biological Pathways

About this Title

Intended for advanced undergraduates and graduate students in all areas of biochemistry, The Organic Chemistry of Biological Pathways provides an accurate treatment of the major biochemical pathways from the perspective of mechanistic organic chemistry.

About the Authors

John E. McMurry received his B.A. from Harvard University and his Ph.D. at Columbia University. Dr. McMurry is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and an Alfred P. Sloan Research Foundation Fellow. He has received several awards, which include the National Institutes of Health Career Development Award, the Alexander von Humboldt Senior Scientist Award, and the Max Planck Research Award. In addition to The Organic Chemistry of Biological Pathways, he is also the author of Organic Chemistry, Fundamentals of Organic Chemistry, and Chemistry (with Robert Fay).

Tadhg P. Begley received his B.Sc. from National University of Ireland and his Ph.D. at the California Institute of Technology. Dr. Begley is the recipient of many awards, including the Merck Faculty Development Award and the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award. His research group uses the principles and techniques of organic chemistry to study complex organic transformations found in vitamin biosynthetic pathways. In addition to The Organic Chemistry of Biological Pathways, Dr. Begley has edited Cofactor Biosynthesis: A Mechanistic Perspective.

Table of Contents

Foreword by Christopher Walsh

1. Common Mechanisms in Biological Chemistry
2. Biomolecules
3. Lipid Metabolism
4. Carbohydrate Metabolism
5. Amino Acid Metabolism
6. Nucleotide Metabolism
7. Biosynthesis of Some Natural Products
8. A Summary of Biological Transformations

A. Visualizing Protein Structures Using the Swiss PDB Viewer
B. Using the KEGG and BRENDA Databases
C. Answers to End-of-Chapter Problems
D. Abbreviations Used in This Book
Index

Praise

"The book's greatest strength is its emphasis on the conceptual unity of organic chemistry and biochemistry. The chemical structures are presented with great care and accompanied by lucid explanations." —Charles Clapp, Bucknell University

"This textbook elegantly portrays the complementary nature of chemistry and biology. By describing biological processes in detailed chemical terms, the authors have provided a resource that provides an unparalleled look into the fascinating and emerging field of chemical biology." —Hung-wen Liu, University of Texas

"This textbook satisfies a major need in chemistry curricula, bridging the gap between introductory organic chemistry and biochemistry/biology. It is the first book written for students that presents biological transformations from the perspective of organic mechanism. The book significantly augments modern biochemistry curricula and may catalyze a resurgence of interest in biological mechanism." —Carolyn R. Bertozzi, University of California, Berkeley

"This text provides a contemporary and authoritative treatment of the molecular logic of the chemistry of life." —Christopher T. Walsh, Harvard University

"This text/reference book uniquely bridges organic chemistry and biochemistry and appears at an opportune time when an understanding of chemical biology is becoming essential. It should be indispensable for all bioscientists interested in a chemistry-based clarification of biological pathways." —Koji Nakanishi, Columbia University

"McMurry and Begley present the logic of biosynthetic pathways in the language of organic chemistry. This text will serve as an essential guide for new students of biological chemistry and will also prove a resource for the experienced student who aims to understand the molecular basis of biological chemistry." —Milan Mrksich, University of Chicago

Translations

French by DeBoeck
Korean by Freedom Academy
German by Spektrum GmbH
Japanese by TKD
Italian by Zanichelli
Chinese by Science Press