Effects of reproductive tissue-specific antisera on rabbit eggs.

Abstract

The effect of sheep anti-rabbit ovary, oviduct, and uterus sera on rabbit eggs was examined. Such antisera, when absorbed with rabbit plasma, kidney, and spleen (p,k,s), have previously been shown to contain only antibodies directed against antigens specific to the reproductive tissues. Treatment of eggs having an exposed zona pellucida (semi-naked) and eggs possessing a mucin coat (mucin-coated) with unabsorbed and p,k,s-absorbed anti-ovary serum produced a precipitation layer on the surface of the zona. Anti-oviduct and anti-uterus sera had no effect on semi-naked eggs. Unabsorbed and p,k,s-absorhed anti-oviduct sera, however, when tested on mucin-coated eggs, produced two precipitation layers within the mucin coat. Unabsorhed anti-uterus serum also produced two precipitation layers on mucincoated eggs, but, when absorbed, produced only one layer. None of the antisera were found to have a morphological effect on eggs possessing an intact cumulus cell niass (eggs in cumulus), an intact corona radiata (eggs in corona), and eggs having no investments (naked eggs). Precipitation layers were never observed on control treated eggs. Consequently, it was concluded that these precipitates were a result of specific antigen-antibody reactions and that they indicated some reproductive tissue-specific antigens were associated with the egg. The effect of trypsin on zona removal, using anti-ovary serum pretreated Seminaked eggs, was also investigated. Trypsin failed to remove the zona when eggs were first treated with the anti-ovary serum and possessed the precipitation layer.