Dr..K, Bhaskaran, Ram Niwas, V, 5S, Ram Marg,
| New Hyderabad, Lucknow.
ndia.

13th Feb ‘59,

Dear Professor Lederberg,

I wish to thank you for your valuable comments on my work on
genetic recombination in Vibrij rae. J am indeed sorry it was
not possible for me to write to you earlier.

I note your arguement that “phage 129' may not be a phage at all
ut a bacteriocin instead. While this possibility is being investigated

find that proteolytic enzvmes like trypsin do not inhibit the anpearance
of plaques. lven if ‘phage 129' is a bacteriocin, it is perhaps nota
protein like the colicines. Furthermore, ‘phage 129" shows the excessive
dose phenomenon of Boyd‘1951), as pigaves do not appear when the lysogenic
inoculum is of a high order(10%to 10‘cells) in cross matching tests with
indicator strains.

I appreciate your criticism that it would be inoorrect to apply
the F symbol to recombining strains of V - . This was indeed a
slip on my part and + expect to designate these strains differently in
the paper to be published in the May issue of the Indian Journal of
Medical Research.

Work is pro ressing satisfactorily and 1 will be writing to you
in due course about it. I will be very grateful to you if you wil
kindly inlcude me in your mailing list an

r make available to me your
publications in bacterial genetics.

With kindest regards,
Yours sincerely,

LQ% 7,
Prof, J. Lederberg, t
Stanfor University,