United States 
Department of 
Agriculture 
Animal and 
Plant Health 
Inspection 
Service 
Federal Bldg. 
Hyattsville, MD 
20782 
September 30, 1988 
Gerard McGarrity, Ph.D. 
Chairman, Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee 
National Institutes of Health 
Rockville, Maryland 20852 
Dear Dr. McGarrity: 
This letter is in comment to the Federal Register Notice of September 2, 
1988 (53 FR 34246-34247), "Recombinant DNA Research; Proposed Actions Under 
Guidelines," Subheading III. Proposed Amendment of Section I-B. 
The first sentence of the proposed amendment reads as follows: "Unmodified 
transposons [wild-type] that become inserted into a genome, even if carried 
by a recombinant vector or plasmid are not subject to these guidelines." 
We suggest that this sentence be modified by the following addition [new 
phrase underlined]: "Unmodified transposons [wild-type] that become inserted 
into a genome, even if carried by a recombinant vector or plasmid are not 
subject to these guidelines if the recombinant vector or plasmid are no 
longer present in the cell ." 
We believe this will make specific what is suggested in context and is 
implied by the example that is provided. 
Sincerely, 
John H. Payne, Ph.D. 
Staff Microbiologist 
Biotechnology and Environmental 
Coordination Staff 
[382] 
Recombinant DNA Research, Volume 13 
APHIS - Protecting American Agriculture 
