MINUTES OF MEETING - March 6-7 
15 
themselves. Dr. Itolin said that Section I-D-3 has discouraged progress 
in this area of research. 
Dr. Gottesman said that she saw no reason to continue to prohibit the 
study of plant pathogens. Hcwever, she argued against deleting Section 
I-D-3 without considering the ramifications on other sections of the 
Guidelines. She suggested that plant pathogens might be removed from 
the prohibitions by the same mechanism that will be proposed for CDC 
Class 3 pathogens. She said the proposal she would be presenting later 
in the meeting for Class 3 organisms would remove these organisms from 
the prohibited category and lower review procedures one notch, i.e., 
experiments involving Class 3 organisms would require prior review 
by the RAC but would not require prior notice in the Federal Register . 
Dr. Gottesman moved that the RAC take no action at this time. Prior to 
the next meeting a proposal would be published in the Federal Register 
to delete Section I-D-3 and to consider plant pathogens along the same 
model to be developed for CDC Class 3 agents. 
The motion was accepted by a vote of nine in favor, six opposed, and 
three abstentions. 
XII. PROPOSAL TO INCLUDE ALL SPECIES OF GENUS EFWINIA IN APPENDIX A, SUBLIST A 
Dr. Brill presented the request (tab 827, 843/5) from Dr. Clarence Kado of 
the University of California, Davis to include all Erwinia species in Sub- 
list A of Appendix A of the Guidelines. Currently, oily one Erwinia species, 
Erwinia amylovora , is included on this list of species that exchange DNA 
by known physiological processes. Dr. Brill said that all the Ehterobac- 
teriaceae, which include Escherichia , Shigella , Salmonella , Enterobacter , 
Citrobacter , Klebsiella , and Erwinia are very closely related. He noted 
that gene transfers between the Enterobacteriaceae occur frequently. He 
moved that Dr. Kado's request be approved and that all species of Erwinia 
be included in Sublist A, Appendix A. 
Dr. Gottesman recounted some of the history of the development of Appendix 
A, and sunmarized the types of exchanges the RAC previously felt should be 
demonstrated before an organism is included in Appendix A. Dr. Fredrickson 
in his Decision Document of December 22, 1978 had accepted as criteria for 
inclusion in Appendix A, 
"Organisms which exchange chromosomal genetic information which 
becomes stably integrated into the host chromosome" and 
"Organisms which exchange chromosomal information that is not 
necessarily integrated into the chromosome of the recipient 
(for instance, transfer via F' or R)?" 
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