DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY
YALE UNIVERSITY NEW HAVEN,
CONNECTICUT
STERLING CHEMISTRY LABORATORY 225
PROSPECT STREET
July 8, 1957
[Handwritten annotation: "Fig 2 postulated structure small portion of an antibody-antigen"?]
Dr. Linus Pauling
Crellin Chemistry Laboratory
California Institute of Technology Pasadena, California
Dear Linus:
It seems a little strange to Ruth and myself not to be coming out to Caltech this summer, but it was difficult to leave here
at this time. I hope we can continue to get away every other summer; the change is certainly a welcome one.
The news at this end of the continent is that Harvey Itano and I are working together on the sickle cell hemoglobin problem
again. We found that Hb S undergoes a rapid reversible dissociation into half-molecules in acid solution in exactly the
same way that Hb A does, but that when S and A are mixed, taken into acid, and re-neutralized, no recombination of S and A
half-molecules can be detected by electrophoresis. The dimerization of the half-molecules is therefore specific, and controlled
by the same small difference which is responsible for the difference in sickling behavior of the whole molecules. We will
also examine Hb G in similar studies.
I would also like to ask a favor of you. I am writing an article on antibodies for Scientific American, and I would very much
like to include a figure which you originally published in your article in Endeavor. This
is figure 2 in the April 1948 issue, volume 7, number 26. Trevor Williams
has already granted permission for the magazine, and I would appreciate your approval as well.
Our fond regards to you and Mrs. Pauling, and greetings to all.
Sincerely,
S. J. Singer
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