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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 4-5 and pH 8-9, 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 8-9 following fractionation of the fluid by gel filtration or affinity chromatography. Small amounts of cathodically migrating proteins were detected directly by electrophoresis at pH 4-5 in dioestrous samples but not in oestrous samples. Determination of glycosidase activities revealed that the levels at oestrus were similar to the levels detected in serum. At dioestrus, the activities of B-N-acetylgalactosaminidase and beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase were elevated.

The proteins and glycosidases in the luminal fluid from the genital tract of ewes at different stages of the oestrous cycle and early pregnancy were studied. Most of the proteins in oviducal fluid and uterine fluid were serum proteins, but an increased amount of a glycoprotein excluded from Sephadex G-200 was detected in oviducal fluid at oestrus. Small amounts of uterine-specific proteins were detected in uterine fluid by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and isoelectric focusing. The number of these varied according to the stage of pregnancy. The activities of several glycosidases were elevated in uterine fluid when compared with serum; beta-N-acetylgalactosaminidase and beta-N-acetylglucosamindase were particularly active. Ovine cervical mucus was shown to contain an epithelial glycoprotein which had a composition similar to that of the glycoproteins isolated from human and bovine cervical mucus.

The proteins in saline washings from uteri of women at different stages of the menstrual cycle were examined by polacrylamide gel electrophoresis at pH 4-5 and pH 8-9, isoelectric focusing in polyacrylamide, and immunoelectrophoresis. The components present were mainly serum proteins but small amounts of uterine-specific proteins were also detected. Measurement of the activities of several glycosidases in uterine washings revealed that alpha-L-fucosidase, beta-N-acetylgalactosaminidase and beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase were elevated when compared with serum.