UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH
Telephone 42080

irot. Jd. Lederberg,
epartment of Genetics,

University of ‘Visconsin,

edison,

wisconsin,

U.S.A. Cetober 5
Dear brofessor Lederbers,

Surias the

2

Biochemistry Unit,
Zoology Department,
West Mains Road,
Edinburgh 9.

.

1956.

t

recent conference

on antibiotics in iilan, I met Dr. Cavalli, who told me thet you
hac succeeded in making protoplasts of Dacteriun coli, and I Lever
Sow a copy of your interesting coummicntion to the T.A.S. on this
subject. I would like to congratulate you on the neatness of
your uethod., aS you will see from the enelased copy of 2
letter to Deture, we heave elso boen tryins to make coli orotoolasts
sere, and I thought you mignt be interested in our observations.

It is an amusing fact tha at we have for sore tine been collectin:
information on the action of nenicillin on the syathesis of th
components of the cell envelopes of Seaenuscoces ad othe
“senicillin sensitive’ orzanisms and have obtained partial »rovection
of stavhylococeal cultures from penicillin in media of hish osnotic
oressure —— whicn we interpreted as beins due sossibly to
protection of the protozlasts when cell—all s,nthesis is ceranzed;
but we Cid not think of using this method for releacin= the
»rotoplasts of Pactoriwa coli.

I wonter whether the release of coli proto lasts in zenicillin-
containing media nay include autolytic >-rocesses.

it would be most aes GO 2car your comacivs aie to lsiow
asout the further developments of your wor's on tis  ::o0blen.

Yours sincerely,

ye BA Ne

Tat po

ell