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ENTRO DI STUDIO PER L' ENDOCRINOLOGIA

'*:E L'ONCOLOGIA SPERIMENTALE

I,

DEL CONSlGLlO NAZIONALE DELLE RICERCHE

A S. ANDREA DELLE DAME, 2
138 NAPOLI (Italy)

Dr. Maxine Singer
N.A.E.Section
Lab.of Biochemistry,NCI
National Institutes of Health
Bethesda, Md. 20014

Dear Maxine:

     I hope
ususal in your
lines, but the

NAPOLI, LI ..... E&.. ...... 7 ..,. 19.2.6 ..................................

TEL. : (081 ) 445544

you had a good start in this New Year, and that things
lab. Here I am not doing bad. We are working very hard

go fast as
on several

most interesting ones are the Friend cells. We are doing at the

same time somatic cell hybrids, study on the structure of chromatin, studies of the
transcription and isolation of mutants.  We have isolated 21 different RNA polymerase
mutants in this cell and are certainly in the midst of a problem on how to analyze
all of them. Also the work on histidine operator is progressing. In addition, I
becope involved in the organization of a gigantic didactic operat6on for our students
in the Medical School. It looks as if this year should really become a landmark
for the medical studies in this Faculty. And since we are the first to try such
methods, maybe even of Italy.

Anyway, the reason of this letter is two-fold. First, I would be very

interested in receiving information about your recombinant DNA legislation.  While I
was in your lab I only superficially followed this subject. Now, however, I am
very interested because there is a chance of legislation being "imposed" from the
government. Do that many scientists would like to propose themselves a legislation.
Therefore, I would be very interested if you could send me material on this subject
as well as suggestions.Like, how did you solve the problem in the U.S.

    The second problem is the following. For our in vitro work on Friend cells,
we need in a near future
My question is the following. a)How is the commercial reverse transcriptase.
b) Is the
prepare the enzyme ourselves); c) or do you think we could get the enzyme itself
from somebody at NIH?  I don't know personally anyone in this fieldand therefore
hope that you can help me. Of course, I would contact anyone personally afterwards.

(actually very soon) to synthesize cDNA to hemoglobin mRNA.

avian myeloblastosis virus available from somebody at NIH (so that we could

Give my best regards to everybody in the lab. I cannot think of anyone in

particular to send more regards, but maybe a specj-a1 one to Dinah and Minou. I
will probably come to the U.S. beginning of July (I have been invited to the Gordon
Conference). So I hope 1'11 see you then. Thank you very much in advance and say
hallo to all your family.