THE ROCKEFELLER UNIVERSITY

1230 YORK AVENUE NEW YORK, NY 10021
September 27, 1989

 

JOSHUA LEDERBERG

PRESIDENT

Dr. C. Scholtissek
University Giessen
Institute of Virology
D-6300 Giessen

Federal Republic of Germany

Dear Dr. Scholtissek:

Bob Chanock has called your paper on the nucleoproteins
of influenza A to my attention. I certainly read that with
great excitement.

I have one tiny technical question to ask of you: namely
just what is the evidence that PR8 really is a "human" influenza
strain. I know that it was purportedly derived from a human
isolate but it was adapted to the chick CAM over many passages.
So I really do wonder if there is any possibility that it has
acquired some or all of its avian characteristics by some form
of recombination or reassortment with other passenger viruses.
(I am under the impression that this was developed in F. M.
Burnet's laboratory and in fact I went down to Melbourne in 1957
in order to try to learn flu genetics from him. But I happened
to pick the time when he was just phasing out that work in
favor of his interest in mechanisms of antibody formation. Or
did Hirst develop PR8?)

In any case, your findings are very exciting indeed -- and
they will acquire even greater cogency as we acquire larger
libraries of naturally occurring virus clones characteristic of
different hosts.

Ss sincer ’
oShua Lederberg

Encls.P275, 279
NYT 5/1/89