DR. FELIX HAUROWITZ
DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY
INDIANA UNIVERSITY
BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA, U.S.A.

July 29, 1959

Dear Joshua:

I am very sorry that you cannot come. I hope, however, that you may later Aone,
firéto come here to the symposium even if you do not participate as one of the speaker.
I would appreciate very much to see you here at least as a discutant.

Thank you for the address of Nossal. I wrote him a second letter, but have
no answer yet.

We seem to agree on persistence of Ag, Ab or AgAb complexes. The problem of
the number of antibody pattems is certainly of crucial impprtance. I once calculated
that 3-4 amino acid residues cannot form more than about 10° combinations. Linus Pauling
objected to this by claiming that each of the triades pr tetrades could exist in many
different conformations. This would result in about 10° rather than 10% "ANTIY patterns.
I see no way how to prove or disprove Pauling. It may just as well be that three given
residues would always arrange in a unique spatial conformation. Then my estimate would
be better than that of Linus.

Hoping to see you either here or at some other national nesting, I am,

sincerely yours

   

Haurowitz