PROTEINS IN THE LUMINAL FLUID FROM THE BOVINE OVIDUCT

Summary. Oviducal fluid was collected by cannulation from four cows and by irrigation from fifteen slaughtered cows. The proteins in the fluid were examined by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis at pH 4\m=.\5 and pH 8\m=.\9,isoelectric focusing on polyacrylamide, immunodiffusion, immunoelectrophoresis, affinity chromatography and gel filtration. The macromolecular components found were mainly serum proteins but small amounts of other proteins were detected in oestrous and dioestrous samples by electrophoresis at pH 8\m=.\9following fractionation of the fluid by gel filtration or affinity chromatography. Small amounts of cathodic-ally migrating proteins were detected directly by electrophoresis at pH 4\m=.\5in dioestrous samples but not in oestrous samples Determination of glycosidase activities revealed that the levels at oest-rus were similar to the levels detected in serum. At dioestrus, the activities of \g=b\-N-acetylgalactosaminidaseand \g=b\-N-acetylglucosaminidasewere elevated