Specific Protein Synthesis in Oviduct-progestational Responses of Hens and Oestradiol-primed Chicks: Immunohistochemical Demonstration of Simultaneous Synthesis of Avidin, Trypsin Inhibitor and Ovoinhibitor

Immunohistochemical studies were carried out on hen and chick oviducts using antibodies against the egg-white proteins, avidin, trypsin inhibitor and ovoinhibitor. The chicks were treated with 17β-oestradiol dipmpionate and then, in some cases, with progesterone. Both trypsin inhibitor and ovoinhibitor were isolated from ovomucoid by preparative isoelectric focussing electrophoresis. The localization of each antigen was examined by means of an indirect immunoperoxidase technique. Each antigen was detected in well-characterized tubular gland cells of the oviduct in both the hens and the hormone-treated chicks. Antigenic avidin was occasionally detected in a few epithelial cells. These immunohistological findings suggest that the concept of progesterone action may have to be reconsidered. Thus, progesterone clearly induces the simultaneous biosynthesis of different proteins which originally require either oestrogen or progesterone for their biosynthesis in identical acinar cells of the oviduct in hens and oestrogen-primed chicks.