February 23, 1953

Dr. Albert Tyler
Blology Lab.
Caltech

Pasadena 4, Calif.

Dear Dr. Tyler:

I would ba interested to try sometias to set up sore oxperinental
triels to fin? auto-antibodies in bacteria. We are working on the flagellar
H~sntigens from another angle, but these may be good material for this
purpose. We have no more then a very vagee hint from previous experiments
that would encourage these trials.

In fact, I have been led into this question from a different view-
point, which can be phrased as the consideration of phage as 2n autoanti-
body, In Salmonella, certain phepes can be identified as having for recep-
tors thessamea somatic antigens as are identified by the usual serological
technicues, i.e., the range of reactions of the phage with bacterial recep-
tors coincides with the reactivity of these recontors with anthHodiles in
immne rabbit sera. Ye do not know whether this specificity is entirely
intrinsic to the phage particls, cr whether it derives from the fact that
the phage grows in th? becterfal cell that synthosilshsstha receptor. If
the latter f= correct, I believe one oculd analogize phaga with autoanti-
body in the sanse I believe you hava used. =?

Tom writing nov because I am not so well soquainted with the litera-
ture on the subject as T should be, and hoped you night send ma reprints
of your publications on it. Dr. Ray nantioned that you hava recently pre-

pared a rather comprehensive review, and ifvthis 4s available it might be
partioularly useful.

Yours sincerely,

Joshua Tederbarg
Asscelate Professor of Genetics