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Journal of Experimental Biology 34,365-377 (1957)
Published by Company of Biologists 1957

Studies on Possible Serological Blocks to Species Hybridization in Poultry

MARGARET RYLE ¹

¹ School of Agriculture, University of Cambridge, Department of Zoology, University of Melbourne, Present address: Australia

1. It is suggested that normal heteroantibodies may contribute to the ditficulties of species hybridization by damaging heterologous spermatozoa and/or by reducing hybrid embryonic viability.

2. Techniques are described for titrating yolk antibody and for agglutination tests with fowl spermatozoa.

3. Plasma h samples from several breeds of chickens were titrated with turkey erythrocyteg in order to study the variability of normal heteroagglutinin titres.

4. Turkey spermatozoa were agglutinated in vitro by chicken plasma. Abaorption tests showad that the same antigens, reacting with the normal heteroagglutinin of chicken plasma, occur on turkey spermatozoa and turkey erythrocytes. Further work is required on the agglutination of chicken sperm by turkey plasma.

5. Low titres of anti-turkey-erythrocyte agglutinin in the blood of domestic hens did not promote interspecific fertility. Immunization of domestic hens with the erythrocytes of the cockerel with wbich they were mated did not induce infertiliw. It is nevertheless considered that an investigation of normal incomplete antibody in relation to inter- and intraspecific fertility might prove fruitful.

6. Normal heteroagglutinins occur in turkey and chicken yolk. The titre of anti-turkey agglutinin in chicken yolk is very close to that in the hen's plasma.

7. Antigens reacting with the normal heteroagglutinin of turkey plasma appear on chick embryo erythrocytes after 4-5 days' incubation; there seem to be little quantitative increase thereafter, They o;ccur on both primitive and definitive erythocytes

8. Normal anti-turkey agglutinin derived from the egg yolk was detected in the blood plasma of a few chick embryaa after 13 days' incubation or more.

9. The latter results are discussed in relation to other published work both on the effects of antisera on emb yogenesis and on the ontogeny of antigenic properties.