Linus Pauling note to self concerning biological specificity. May 16, 1952. Page 1  Larger Images / More Information. 2 pp.  View Transcript

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Activity Listings

• LP Biographical Political: Passport Problems, May 1-16: Letter from B. E. Schaar of Schaar and Co., "Complete Laboratory Equipment" to LP RE: writes that upon learning of the refusal of a passport to LP, he wrote a letter to the Secretary of State, Mr. Dean Acheson [included]. [Filed under LP Biographical: Political Issues: Box 2.002, Folder 2.7]
• LP Biographical Political: Passport Problems, May 1-16: Letter from LP to Dr. J. B. Koepfli, Office of Science Adviser of the Dept. of State RE: encloses copies of his letters to the President and the Secretary of State. Re-states his reasons for desiring a passport. [Filed under LP Biographical: Political Issues: Box 2.002, Folder 2.7]
• LP Biographical Political: Passport Problems, May 1-16: Note from Charles Milton to LP RE: writes that he has just learned in the "Times" about the State Department's refusal to issue LP a passport. Goes on to give his opinion on the matter and includes an article entitled "U.S. 'Neurotic' Fear Criticized by Bishop." [Filed under LP Biographical: Political Issues: Box 2.002, Folder 2.7]
• LP Biographical Political: Passport Problems, May 1-16: copies of letters from E. Miles Day, U.S.N.R. to Mr. DuBridge RE: expresses outrage in learning of LP being denied a passport. Goes on to outline his opinions on the matter in favor of LP. Hopes something can be done to counter the bad news, sends along a check to help. [Note to LP attached with an illegible signature RE: "Linus Pauling: This will interest you. I believe no appeal to the courts is possible. What shall we do with the check?" [Filed under LP Biographical: Political Issues: Box 2.002, Folder 2.7]
• LP Biographical Political: Passport Problems, May 1-16: letter from A.H.Shapley of the Federation of American Scientists, to LP RE: writes that he has seen the NY Times story of May 12, 1952 concerning the State Dept.'s denial of him a passport. Requests a copy of his press statement for use by their committee on passport and visa problems. [Filed under LP Biographical: Political Issues: Box 2.002, Folder 2.7]
• LP Biographical Political: Passport Problems, May 1-16: letter from LP to Dr. Detlev W. Bronk, President of the National Academy of Sciences RE: encloses copies of letters that he just wrote to President Truman and to the Secretary of State. Informs him that he has again applied for a passport, now for travel in the British Isles in the Summer. Asks for his help. [Filed under LP Biographical: Political Issues: Box 2.002, Folder 2.7]
• LP Biographical Political: Passport Problems, May 1-16: letter from LP to The Secretary of State asking that a passport be issued to him to permit him to travel to England in the Summer. [several copies included in this file]. [Filed under LP Biographical: Political Issues: Box 2.002, Folder 2.7] [Also filed under LP Safe: Box 2.021, Folder 21.35]
• LP Newspaper Clippings: 1952n. Article from The Washington Post titled "Scientific Genius" discusses the irony that LP has been labeled a Communist as he was thought by the Russians to have done harm to Soviet chemistry. Additionally, the newspaper is worried that the act of refusing a passport to LP is very similar to actions by the Russian government.
• Letter from Dr. Wichers to Dr. Rossini, cc: members of the NRC Committee on Physical Chemistry [of which LP was a member] RE: Elaborates on his comments regarding the proposal on the standardization of the chemist's mole. [4 pages] [Filed under LP Science: Box 14.028, Folder 28.1]
• Letter from F.C. Tompkins to LP, RE: Tompkins is inviting LP to attend the meeting of the Faraday Society on the 8th and 9th of September. The subject of the discussions will be “The Reactivity of Free Radicals.” Tompkins is enclosing a copy of the program and hopes that LP will accept the invitation to attend. [LP’s letter May 14, 1952] [Filed under LP Speeches: (Speeches by Linus Pauling, 1952), Box 1952s, Folder 1952s.10]
• Letter from LP to Dr. H. Harry Szmant RE: thanks him for his letter and the manuscript and reprint. Goes on to critique the manuscript regarding electronic resonance and molecules. Encloses a reprint of one of his own papers on sulfur-oxygen bonds. [Letter from Dr. Szmant to LP May 9, 1952] [Filed under LP Correspondence: Box #378, Folder #6].
• Letter from LP to Dr. W. E. Macpherson of the College of Medical Evangelists RE: writes in response to Dr. Macpherson's invitation to speak at his institution's 1953 Postgraduate Assembly and Convention, that he may be able to fit it into his schedule. Goes on to discuss his current work. [Letter from Dr. Macpherson October 22, 1951] [Filed under M: Correspondence 1952, Box #256, Folder #3]
• Letter from LP to President Truman RE: reminds the President the petition that he sent asking him to rectify the action of the Dept. of State in refusing a passport to him. As a result of Pres. Truman's actions, he was given an interview with the Dept., though he later found that their earlier decision was upheld. Again asks that Pres. Truman help him obtain a passport. [Letter from LP to President Truman February 29, 1952, letter from LP to Pres. Truman May 20, 1952] [Filed under LP Correspondence: Box #408, folder #5 (Truman, Harry S.)] [Also filed under LP Safe: Box 2.021, Folder 21.34]
• Letter from LP to Prof. S. W. Hockett of Bonewitz Chemicals, Inc. RE: writes in response to Prof. Hockett's enquiry. States that Prof. R. M. Badger of their department is the authority on the infrared field. [Letter from Prof. Hockett May 12, 1952] [Filed under H Correspondence: 1952, Box #166, Folder #3]
• Letter from LP to himself. [Filed under LP Science: Box 8.001, Folder 1.12]

  May 16, 1953

  Note to LP from himself

  Biological Specificity

  Delbrück told me about some recent work by various people, including Lewis in our Biology Division, who investigates as many as 50,000 fruit flies in studying crossing-over.

  There are groups of genes, occurring close together in the chromosomes, that serve closely related purposes. One of these is called lozenge. There seem to be about a dozen alleles that occur not as alternatives at the same locus, but rather that occur simultaneously in very closely adjacent loci. This lozenge is recessive. It is of such a nature that heterozygosity at one locus does not affect the character. Two heterozygosities, however, show up as the wild type if they are of the cis form, such as loz₇ and loz₁₂ in the same chromosome, but as the lozenge dominant if they are of the trans form, with loz₇ in one chromosome and loz₁₂ in the other chromosome.

  When Delbrück told me about these results, I pointed out that a simple explanation of them is that the closely related genes are involved in the production of a substance through a sequence of reactions, and that the intermediates are not able to diffuse, without destruction, from one chromosome to the other, and hence the product must be the result of the proper set of genes in a single chromosome. Today when I talked to Lewis about this matter he said that this was proved to be the case, and he added another point - he mentioned that he had suggested (I believe that this is right) that the genes in adjacent loci are the result of small mutations on a duplicated pair - that is, that one gene is repeated because of duplication, and then undergoes a mutation. He mentioned that in a sequence of reactions a to b to c the catalyzing enzyme for the first reaction and that for the second reaction are related through the substance b, which is the product of the first reaction and a reactant of the second reaction, and hence that these enzymes might be expected not to differ greatly from one another, and a gene responsible for the first enzyme (or identical with it) might have to undergo only a rather small change in configuration to become a gene responsible for or identical with the second enzyme.

• Letter from Prof. A. Wormall to LP RE: thanks LP for sending him reprints of his and Prof. Corey's papers on the subject of the structure of proteins. Invites LP to visit his department in London. [Letter of response from LP to Prof. Wormall October 7, 1952] [Filed under LP Correspondence: Box #443, Folder #20].
• Pauling Scrapbook: Royal Institution of Great Britain Lectures After Easter 1952 Friday Evening Discourses of the Royal Institution Program RE: lists LP as a speaker for May 16, 1952 on the structure of proteins. [Filed under LP Biographical: Box 6.006, Folder 6.25]