The Influence of Extraneous Factors 71 



activation effect of egg-water on spermatozoa can be reproduced by 

 thyroxine. 



Gynogamone II, also called 'isoagglutinin', is the name applied 

 to the fertilizin responsible for the agglutinating action of egg-water 

 upon spermatozoa of the same species. This substance originates in 

 the gelatinous material or 'jelly coat' surrounding the eggs, and 

 passes therefrom into the sea-water; chemically it is a mucoprotein 

 which differs in composition according to species; the polysac- 

 charide component has been reported to contain sulphuric acid in 

 addition to galactose, fucose, glucose, or fructose (Vasseur, 1947, 

 1949; Tyler, 1948; Bishop and Metz, 1952). 



The group of androgamones comprises three substances. Andro- 

 gamone I, to which further reference will be made later in connec- 

 tion with its alleged role as a sperm-immobilizing agent, antagonizes 

 the action of gynogamone I (Hartmann, Schartau and Wallenfels, 

 1940). It is a heat-stable, alcohol-soluble factor which can be ex- 

 tracted from sea-urchin spermatozoa by sharp centrifugation or 

 with methanol, but it is still uncertain whether or not it actually 

 diffuses out of intact sperm cells. Androgamone II is the antifer- 

 tilizin which reacts with the sperm-agglutinating gynagamone 11. 

 It is an alcohol-insoluble, protein-like substance extracted by Hart- 

 mann and his associates from sea-urchin sperm, and believed to 

 function as a jelly-coat dissolving or precipitating factor. Andro- 

 gamone III, also known as the 'egg-surface liquefying agent' or 

 'lysin', is an alcohol-soluble substance found by Runnstrom, Lind- 

 vall and Tiselius (1944) in sea-urchin and salmon spermatozoa, with 

 a lytic action towards the cortical layer of eggs. It is probably a 

 fatty acid; in its effect on sea-urchin eggs it resembles bee venom 

 and certain detergents (Runnstrom and Lindvall, 1946). 



Much confusion in the past has been caused by conflicting reports 

 which ascribed to gynogamones, apart from their activating or 

 agglutinating action, also a definite attracting or chemotactic influ- 

 ence on spermatozoa. It is doubtful whether in animals chemo taxis 

 plays any serious role in guiding the spermatozoa to the eggs. 

 Plants, on the other hand, provide several excellent examples for 

 the existence of chemotaxis (Cook, 1945; Hawker, 1951). In mosses 

 and ferns, the spermatozoids are well known to be attracted towards 

 various substances, for example malic acid, sucrose, certain salts 



