London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

(UNIVERSITY OF LONDCN)
INCORPORATING THE ROSS INSTITUTE

 

TELEPHONE:

MUSEUM 3041 (4 LINES) KEPPEL STREET.
TELEGRAMS: (GOWER STREET)
HYGOWER, WESTCENT. LONDON
W.C.1.
DEPARTMENT OF BACTERIOLOGY
AND IMMUNOLOGY:
Prof. E. T. Cc. SPOONER
Pror. J. C, CRUICKSHANK 6th Oc tober, 1953.

Dr. J. Lederberg, |
Department of Genetics,
University of Wisconsin,

Madison 6,
WISCONSIN,  U.S.A.~

Dear Dr. Lederberg,

This is a delayed reply to your letter of
the 14th February from Chamblee in which you suggested that I

might follow some aspects of Ephrussi's work on the mutagenic
action of euflavine. Last week I had the pleasure of meeting
Dr. Ephrussi and discussed with him the points raised in your
letter. As a result of these discussions and the catalytic
effect of your original suggestion I think the following
programme might be worth while:

1. To study action of a selected series of acridines and
chemically related compounds for mutagenic activity using
Ki2 and possibly some organisms of the bacillus group.
The ohject would be to determine whether changes can be
observed in pee organisms similar to those reported by
Ephrussi for ~ ais, of course, would involve study
of colonial morphology, possibly cytology and cytochrome
and other enzyme systems (e.g. satalase).

2. Should any changes be observed we should be able to
interpret these from two points of view - one, the influence
of chemical constitution on the changes so induced and,
two, an analysis of the genetic basis of such changes by
recombination experiments.

3. Again working on the assumption that mutagenic activity
will be observed reverse mutation to normal forms may be
attempted by reintroducing the intracellular constituents
of the normal into the mutant. This might be achieved by
using Stocker's findings on the effectiveness of phage
2.

lysed cultures,

If this programme meets with your general approval
I shall do my best to familiarise myself with certain aspects
of the problem before leaving London. I am quite keen to embark
on investigation of this sort because I think it admirably
combines genetic and biochemical investigations and Linking
these with my own experience on acridines and related compounds.

I hope to start work with you some time between
the 6th and 10th December, but will let you know definitely later
in November the exact date of my arrival.

I had the great pleasure of meeting Dr. Cavalli,
at Rone, who is a quite outstanding person.

Looking forward to my stay at Wisconsin. With
best wishes,

Yours sincerely,

43

“

 

P.S. I shall be leaving England on November 20th, and will -
be working at the above address until that date,