Letter from Francis Crick to Sewell Champe

Letter from Francis Crick to Sewell Champe

Contributor(s):
The Wellcome Library for the History and Understanding of Medicine. Francis Harry Compton Crick Papers
Crick, Francis, 1916-2004
Champe, Sewell
Publication:
Produced: 24 October 1966
Language(s):
English
Format:
Text
Subject(s):
Genetic Code
Genre(s):
Archival Materials
Letters (correspondence)
Abstract:
Crick here commented on Champe's attempt to find the protein for which the rII mutant of the bacterial virus T2 coded. Crick himself discussed results of research with acridine mutants of bacteriophage T4, a different family of mutants in whose study Crick's laboratory specialized and which he used to provide evidence for the three-letter composition of the genetic code.. Crick named the various strains of acridine mutants, which he had initially produced in 1961, by assigning to each one a number, preceded by his initials, such as FC58. He explained that he had done so not for self-aggrandizement but to aid him in organizing and remembering the many different strains.. A cistron denotes the smallest unit of genetic material that must be intact to serve as a transmitter of genetic information, i.e. which determines the sequence of amino acids in one polypeptide chain. Gene and cistron are sometimes used interchangeably.
Copyright:
This item may be under copyright protection; contact the copyright owner for permission before re-use.
Extent:
2 pages
NLM Unique ID:
101584582X209 (See in Profiles in Science)
Profiles in Science ID:
SCBBPD
Permanent Link:
http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/101584582X209
Archival Collection:
The Francis Crick Papers (Profiles in Science)