DEPARTMENT OF
PLANT SCIENCES

 

THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA

NORMAN - OKLAHOMA

December 2, 1949

Dr. Joshua Lederberg
Department of Genetics
College of Agriculture
University of Wisconsin
Madison, Wisconsin

Dear Lederberg:

Thank you very much for your letter af November 30 in
which you seem to have an interesting problem. I appreciate your
sending me the K-12 and W-1113 strains, though I confess it may be
some time before I can examine then.

It is my opinion that the phenomenon you have observed may
or may not be “direct antagonism" (whatever that means) in the sense
that I used the term with regard to Aerobacter strains. As you will
note in the reprint I am sending on "Antagonism by Aerobacter Strains,
I failed to observe any zones of inhibition on plates massively seeded
with the test organism and then massively streaked with the antagonist.
I gather that our inocula were comparable, but I note om detail in
which your technique differs. You used 3-4 ml. of "soft" agar poured
over a nutrient agay,plate. This detail might well be a critical om,
as inhibition might,visible here and not be jn a plate poured with
15 c.c. of ordinary agar inoculated with a suspension,which was ny
technique. I intend to test the strains you sent me by both techniques,
and may I suggest that you do so. The resuits of such an experiment
would indicate whether or not you are observing the same phenomenon,
and would certainly be extremely interesting to me. Meantime, would
you please inform me as to the actual agar content of your "soft! agar?

As to the immediate problem of obtaining resistant K-l2
strains, I am afraid I can offer little encouragement. I have marked
one paragraph in the reprint on "Antagonism by Aerobacter Strains" in
which I attempted in vain to demonstrate resistant variants with five
strains which seemed to afford very favorable conditions for develop-
ment of such forms. Of course any validity which might be attached to
these attempts for your work rests on the question of whether or not
we have observed the same phenomenon.

I am sarry that I can be of no more assistance. let me assure
you of my gemine interest in this work, however, and I sincerely believe
that cooperation of this sort between workers in different institutions
is of inestimable value. Please let me hear from you again on this matter.
pr. Joshua Lederberg ~- Page 2 December 2, 19,9

May I take a "rain check" on your offer of mutant strains?
Very possible I might be able to use these at a later date.

Yours sincerely,

E Hh Miyua

E. Staten Wynne
Assistant Professor of
Bacteriology

P.S. Sorry about the "-burg". And congratulations on putting the
final ~e on my name.

 

WYNNE ES
@ ANTAGONISM BY AEROBACTER STRAINS
_J BACT _———_—_—s«53(4):469-478 = ss 47s
@ NORMAN JO—ON THE CONCEFT OF DIRECT ANTAGONISM
IN BACTERIA

J INFEC DIS 93(3):243-246

eo Haden 7