Some Characteristics of an Inhibitor of Embryonic Development from Rabbit Oviductal Fluid

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Abstract
Stone et al. (1977) suggested the presence of a low molecular weight inhibitor of embryonic development in estrogen-influenced oviductal fluid. The present study supports this conclusion; inhibitory material is found in the void volume fraction of a Sephadex G-25 column. Some characteristics of this material have been examined. The inhibitory factor is found in low concentration in estrogen-regulated oviductal fluid. It is heat stable and is not extractable by chloroform:methanol. The inhibitor is partially susceptible to proteolytic digestion. These data suggest that a small peptide may be partly responsible for the interruption of embryonic development by estrogen-regulated oviductal fluid. The developmental stage at which the inhibition begins and the reversibility of the inhibition are examined also.