A study of the water-soluble oviduct proteins of the laying hen and the female chick treated with gonadal hormones

1. 1. Starch-gel electrophoretic separations of proteins in dialysates of the water-soluble proteins of the various sections of the oviduct (funnel magnum, isthmus) of the laying hen show that the proteins separated from the uterus are not similar to egg-white proteins and an ovomucin fraction is not found in the funnel or isthmus region of the oviduct. 2. 2. Water-soluble magnum proteins (WSMP) of the laying hen are quantitatively similar to egg-white proteins except that there is a larger quantity of the post-albumin protein in the WSMP. 3. 3. The WSMP in immature female chicks receiving oestradiol alone were similar to those in the broody hen and were lower than those in chicks receiving oestradiol plus progesterone or oestradiol plus testosterone. The quantity of the post-albumin protein was reduced by the double hormone treatment. Con-albumin was present in all WSMP examined including those from the broody hen.