A semiquantitative immunohistochemical technique for the detection of N‐acetyl α‐D‐neuraminic acid, N‐acetyl β‐D‐glucosamine and its β‐(1 ŕ 4)‐linked internal chains, α‐D‐glucopyranosyl and α‐D‐mannopyranosyl and its α‐(1 ŕ 2)‐linked internal chains and sterically related, nonreducing, end‐chain residues of oligosaccharide chains of glycoproteins or glycolipids on the surface of membranes was developed using Con A and wheat germ lectins.When this method was applied to the localization of carbohydrate receptors on the membrane of the normal human spermatozoa, it was found that the Con A and wheat germ lectin receptors were mainly located in the equatorial and post nuclear cap with few receptors located in the acrosome and neck. None of them were found in the intermediate segment plus tail.Con A receptors were α‐D‐mannopyranosyl end‐chain residues and wheat germ lectin receptors were N‐acetyl β‐D‐glucosamine (1 ŕ 4)‐linked internal chains. These groups occur together in the oligomannosidic type of N‐glycosidic‐linked oligosaccharide chains of glycoproteins and so the use of both lectins on desialycated membranes or on those which contain nonclustered N‐acetyl neuraminic acid residues may be of help to localize this type of glycoprotein oligosaccharide chains.Con A receptors were not removed after proteases digestion, suggesting the possibility that they are part of intrinsic spermatozoal antigens.

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Sera from 31 patients with plasma cell myeloma and seven with macroglobulinemia were analyzed by the disc electrophoresis method (Ornstein and David). Of the 31 myeloma cases, 24 were found to have a single component. In the remaining cases, in spite of apparent homogeneity in paper electrophoresis, several abnormal components were seen. Ultracentrifugal studies revealed that the heterogeneous myeloma components are a group of globulins with a sedimentation rate between 7S and 19S. Some of the latter components could be easily dissociated by sulfhydryl liberating compounds. Comparison of the results with those obtained by paper and immunoelectrophoresis demonstrated that all the heterogeneous proteins were fast globulins of the β2A type. The possible significance of the heterogeneous myloma proteins is discussed.

The chemical composition of some "immunologically" pure antigens isolated from guinea pig testis and spermatozoa was correlated with their antigenic behavior. Their immunological responses were compared to select the best materials for a further isolation of chemically pure antigens. The glycoprotein extracted from the spermatozoa (T Gly) has the highest immunological potency and seems to be a T and B, depending antigen, able to induce high humoral and cell responses producing germinal cell damage, testicular lesions, and aspermatogenesis.