" (wild- type ) " should be removed. If it were not such, it would 
be classified as a recombinant covered by other sections of the 
NIH Guidelines. 
Dr. Payne said removing "wild type" would imply that all 
transposons were not recombinant even if the transposon itself 
was recombinant. Dr. Roberts said the words "bacterium, phage, 
and cell" needed no qualifiers except in the case of their being 
recombinants, and natural mutations were not to be treated as 
recombinant DNA. 
Mr. Mannix suggested striking the words "wild type" and adding 
the following to the end of the first sentence: 
"...unless the transposon contains DNA segments that 
are otherwise recombinant as defined in the preceding 
paragraph. " 
Dr. Vidaver said she had no quarrel with this suggestion and read 
the proposed amended wording: 
"Genomic DNA of plants and bacteria that has acquired a 
transposable element, even if the latter was donated 
from a recombinant vector no longer present, is not 
subject to these guidelines unless the transposon 
itself cont ins recombinant DNA." 
Dr. Roberts movec approval of this amendment to Section I-B of 
the NIH Guidelines. Mr. Mannix seconded the motion. Dr. Roberts 
asked where Dr. Vidaver proposed the paragraph to appear, and she 
said she saw it as a separate paragraph at the end of Section I-B 
in the NIH Guidelines. 
There being no further discussion. Dr. McGarrity put the motion 
to a vote. The motion passed by a unanimous vote. 
Dr. McGarrity thanked Dr. Vidaver and called on Dr. McKinney to 
present the next agenda item. 
VI. DISCUSSION OF SHIPMENT OF rDNA MOLECULES (TABS 1335, 1340): 
Dr. McKinney said the U.S. Postal Service proposed changing their 
regulations relative to mailing of etiologic agents in June of 
this year in a proposal entitled "The Non-Mailability of 
Etiologic Agents." He said it occurred to him that the present 
wording of the NIH Guidelines in Appendix H states, "Recombinant 
DNA molecules contained in an organism or virus shall be shipped 
only as etiologic agents." This has not been amended since 1976, 
despite the acquisition of new knowledge of recombinant molecules 
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