KW: Attempt to transform Friedlander's bacillus; transcript of
segment of report. (Klebsiella pneumoniae}. McCarty doesn't recall
any followup.;
jl 7/30/03
:f /j/X/avery.290420
transcript of CCAAMP, excerpt.
Rockefeller University Archives
Report of the Director of the Hospital
Scientific Reports to the Board
April 20, 1929
Box 5, Vol. 17
Section VI. p 215/227
.fi
VI. The Reversion of "R" Friedlander bacilli to the "S" Forms, and
the Interconvertibility of Specific Types. Numerous attempts have
been previously made to cause reversion of "R" Friedlander bacilli
to the "S" variety by the various methods which have been effective
in the case of Pneumococcus. The results of these attempts have been
uniformly negative, and the reversion of an "R" form of Friedlander's
bacillus to its original specific type had never been attained by
"in vitro" methods.
The recent studies of Griffith have demonstrated that, under
proper conditions, "R" pneumococci may be induced to revert not only
to the "S" antecedent, but even to the "S" form of a heterologous
type. The method he employed consists of the simultaneous injection
subcutaneously in white mice of the deposit of large quantities
of heat killed "S" organisms and small amounts of living "R" cells.
The conversion to a different type, when it does occur, is to the
type of the culture employed as vaccine. Subsequent confirmation of
Griffith's results in this laboratory, suggested the possibility of
the reversion of "R" forms of Friedlander bacillus by the newer
technique.
Up to the present time two sets of experiments have been
completed. On one occasion, of six mice injected with the deposit
equivalent to 40 cc. of Type A culture heated for 30 minutes at 56-60
degree C together with 0.25 cc. of "R" organisms derived from Type B
or Type C, 3 mice yielded cultures containing both "R" and "S"
colonies. The "S" colonies proved to be of the Type A variety. Three
mice which received similar quantities of heat-killed bacteria alone
were sacrificed after 10 days and in none of them were any
bacteria cultivated from either the site of injection or the heart
blood.
On a second attempt, 4 mice each were injected with the deposit
of bacilli from 30 cc. of Type A culture previously heated (30 minutes
at 56-60 degree C), together with 0.25 cc of "R" culture derived from
Type B, Type C and Group X. Two mice of each group yielded cultures
containing both "R" and "S" colonies; all the "S" colonies isolated,
proved serologically to be of Type A. Four mice injected with the
same quantity of Type A vaccine and 0.25 cc. of "R" cells derived from
Type A, yielded cultures composed purely of "R" colonies. As
controls, 4 mice received the heat-killed Type A deposit alone. They
were killed after 10 days and cultures taken from the site of
injection and from the heart blood showed no growth.
Since previous results from this laboratory showed that Type II
Pneumococcus and Type B, Friedlander's bacillus possess similar
antigenic properties, observations were made on the reversibility of
"R" Friedlander bacilli when injected subcutaneously into white mice
together with heat-killed suspensions of pneumococcus Type II. Three
different sets of experiments were carried out, but in no instance was
it found that Type II Pneumococcus exerted any influence on the
reversion of Friedlander's bacilli to either homologous or
heterologous types.;
jl 7/30/03
