The distribution of some hydrolytic enzymes in the semen of the domestic fowl, Gallus domesticus.

Abstract

Summary. The distribution of some hydrolytic enzymes in fowl semen was studied. Washed spermatozoa and seminal plasma were examined for the following enzymes: acid phosphatase, sulphatase, N-acetyl-β-dglucosaminidase, β-glucuronidase, phospholipase A, trypsin-like enzyme and neuraminidase. Only a trypsin-like enzyme, N-acetyl-β-d-glucosaminidase and acid phosphatase were detected in the semen. Most of the acid phosphatase activity occurred in particulate material in the seminal plasma, whereas virtually all the trypsin-like activity was in the spermatozoa. The N-acetyl-β-d-glucosaminidase activity in semen occurred both in the spermatozoa and the seminal plasma; the proportion of the activity in whole semen contributed by the spermatozoa was less than that contributed by the seminal plasma but the concentration of activity was greater in the spermatozoa. A slightly inhibitory action of seminal plasma on the activity of the trypsin-like enzyme was indicated. A preliminary examination was made of the semen of different strains of fowl and revealed between-strain differences in the activity of enzymes, particularly acid phosphatase.