Thank you for your comments on Phil Johnson's message concerning his
dialogue with you last Sept. You raise several important points but, since
I was not at the lecture, it is hard for me to grasp the context in which
you made certain points and in which Phil answered them. As you pointed
out, in Darwin on Trial, Phil raised the point that that the molecular
similarities of cytochrome C between diverse species is greater than
expected given the phylogenetic distance between the species. Am I correct
in understanding that your questions to him concerning the function and
structure of the molecule were to find out whether or not he considered that
the critical role of cytochromes as electron carriers in cellular
respiration is highly dependent on the ability of the molecules to
coordinately bind iron molecules? And that this necessitates maintainence
of a precise 3D molecular structure that would not tolerate much structural
variation? Therefore, it is not surprising that cytochromes are highly
conserved.
I am less certain about the context of your questions concerning the use of
animal models for the human genome project, and concerning viral subversion
of the immune system. Were these questions in response to comments Phil
made during the lecture? If so, can you provide a 1-2 sentence summary of
what Phil's point was on these subjects? (Is there, by chance, a tape of
the lecture and the following Q & A?)
Thank you for your time.
Steve Clark
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Steven S. Clark, Ph.D. Phone: (608) 263-9137
Associate Professor FAX: (608) 263-4226
Dept. of Human Oncology and email: ssclark@facstaff.wisc.edu
UW Comprehensive Cancer Ctr
University of Wisconsin
Madison, WI 53792
"It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings
to search out a matter." Proverbs
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