[An immunologic study of hyaluronidase of different animal origin].

Studied was the antigenic relatedness of hyaluronidase contained in the semen of breeder animals of homologic and heterologic species. The experiments were carried out by means of the immunodiffusion and the immunoelectrophoretic methods. The results obtained showed that the seminal hyaluronidase of bulls, rams and bucks is antigenically related, and that of stallions, boars and rabbits does not exhibit antigenic relatedness. Stallion semen is closely related antigenically with the above-mentioned three animal species' semen as manifested by two precipitation bands, but these are not identical with the hyaluronidase precipitation arc. The antigenic relatedness of seminal hyaluronidase is demonstrated by one precipitation line. This fact makes it reasonable to believe that the enzyme activity of hyaluronidase is to be manifested in one protein fraction only, and not in a protein complex. However, further investigations are needed on the biologic activity and the immunologic specificity of hyaluronidase.