Evidence for α-Lactalbumin-like Activity in Reproductive Tract Fluids of the Male Rat1

Abstract

Synthesis of lactose by rat RTF galactosyltransferase and a fraction of rat epididymal fluid is described and shown to be similar to the lactose synthetase complex described heretofore only in lactating breast and milk. Partial purification of the α-lactalbumin-like material on Sephadex G-75 and DEAE-BioGel A yielded two fractions containing material that migrated on SDS-polyacrylamide gels to bands corresponding to molecular weights consistent with those reported for rat milkα -lactalbumin.