Mareh 28, 1948.
Dr. M. k. Wolfroa,
Dept. Chanistry,
Ohio State University,
Colugibus , Ohio
Dear Dr. Wolfron,
Ag my earlier communications have indicated, we have been working on the
specificity of disaccharases is Fscherichia coli mtants. Preparations have
been extracted which are very active in accumlating substances reducing Cu
in acetic acid (Barfced's monose method) from lactose. Chromatography seems
to be the most effective method of proving that the products of the enzymatic
reastion ure (as presumed) in fact gluccse and galactose. Have you had any
eccasion tc werk specifically on the system glucose-galactose-lactose? From
your published data, I infer that these components should be rather casily
seperated on a column, but I wonder whether your group may have found any
special procedure more effective. I would also appreciate reprints of your
relevant publications, particularly JACS 68:1449 (1946) and 1b. 2169, (1946).
Finally, we should be interested to test our mutants on lactcsitol, but

. before preparing a large quantity, we would like to have a preliminary sample
for test and for ased. Could you accomodate us with about .5 gms. of this
compound ?

Yours sincerely,

Joshua Lederberg .
Assistant Professor of Genetics.