The defined estrone glucuronide-lysozyme conjugate E3, that is acylated solely at K33, was used as a probe for the steric requirements of the active site cleft of chicken type lysozymes. When the immune complex was formed with an anti-estrone glucuronide antiserum, the rate of lysis of the E3 conjugate with the large bacterial substrate Micrococcus lysodeikticus was inhibited by over 90%. However, when the small hexamer of N-acetyl glucosamine was used as the substrate, the rate of hydrolysis by the immune complex was accelerated by 350% compared with the control rate. Thus, inhibition by the anti-estrone glucuronide cannot be caused simply by steric occlusion of the active site. Other factor(s) in the immune complex activate the hydrolysis reaction, most likely by favouring the conformations that lead to the transition state. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.