Comparative studies on the carbohydrate-containing membrane components of normal and virus-transformed mouse fibroblasts. II. Separation of glycoproteins and glycopeptides by sephadex chromatography

Comparative studies on the carbohydrate-containing membrane components of normal and adenosine 3':5'-cyclic monophosphate-treated Chinese hamster ovary cells

1. We investigated some of the changes in plasma-membrane composition that accompany the alteration in cell growth and morphology induced by treating Chinese-hamster ovary cells with dibutyryladenosine 3':5'-cyclic monophosphate (dibutyryl cyclic AMP). 2. A double-labelling technique was employed in which normal cells were given (14)C-labelled precursor, and those treated with dibutyryl cyclic AMP were given (3)H label. l-Leucine, d-glucosamine, and l-fucose were used to label the membranes. 3. After 3 days growth, the two populations of cells were harvested by trypsin treatment, the cells were pooled, and plasma membranes isolated. Proteins and glycoproteins of the membranes were separated by electrophoresis on sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gels, and the radioactive profiles for (14)C and (3)H and the staining patterns with Amido Black were compared. 4. Although certain components of the membrane from treated cells showed marked quantitative changes, there was neither major addition nor major deletions of components. 5. Complete proteolysis of the mixed membranes, of the material released from the cell surface by trypsin, and of the glycoproteins released from the cells into the medium, gave a series of radioactive glycopeptides when either fucose or glucosamine was employed as precursor. 6. After such glycopeptides were fractionated on columns of Sephadex G-50, marked differences in the elution profiles of (3)H and (14)C were noted. Dibutyryl cyclic AMP evidently causes alterations in the overall composition of the carbohydrate components of the cell surface. It was not possible to decide whether this was solely the result of the same glycoproteins being formed but in different proportions, or the result of modifications of oligosaccharide side chains on some of the glycoproteins. 7. Some of the changes were not unlike the reverse of those that accompany the transformation of fibroblasts by oncogenic viruses, and our results lend credence to the idea that the lowered amount of cyclic AMP noted in transformed cells is responsible for their altered surface properties.

Transformation of chick-embryo fibroblasts by wild-type and temperature-sensitive Rous sarcoma virus alters adenylate cyclase activity

The activity of the enzyme adenylate cyclase, a component of the plasma membrane, has been determined in chick-embryo fibroblasts and in cells transformed by either Bryan high-titer strain of Rous sarcoma virus (RSV-BH) or a temperature-sensitive mutant of this virus (RSV-BH-Ta). Adenylate cyclase activity is reduced in cells transformed by the wild-type virus and also by the temperature-sensitive mutant when the cells are grown at the permissive temperature (37 degrees ). Transformation results in an altered affinity (K(m)) for the substrate (Mg ATP). The apparent K(m) ATP is 0.23 mM in normal cells and 1.1 mM in cells transformed with wild-type virus. The K(m) ATP of the cells infected with RSV-BH-Ta is 0.67-1.0 mM at 37 degrees and 0.28 mM at 42 degrees . The enzyme from normal cells appears to have two binding sites for Mg(++), one at the catalytic site and a second at a regulatory site. Transformation by RSV-BH or RSV-BH-Ta (37 degrees ) apparently alters this second Mg(++) site. A decrease in adenylate cyclase activity occurs within 10 min after cells infected with RSV-BH-Ta are shifted from 42 degrees to 37 degrees ; the activity falls to one-half that of normal cells 30 min after the temperature shift. Our observations indicate that a viral function lowers cyclic AMP content by lowering the activity of adenylate cyclase, probably through some modification of the plasma membrane.

Surface glycoproteins of normal and transformed cells: a difference determined by sialic acid and a growth-dependent sialyl transferase

The pattern of elution from a column of Sephadex G-50 of a fucose-labeled carbohydrate component derived from the surface glycoproteins of transformed cells can be altered to resemble that from untransformed cells by enzymatic removal of the sialic acid. These results indicate that the consistent differences found between control and virus-transformed cells may depend upon a relatively specific sialyl transferase that is found in greater amounts (2.5- to 11-times) in transformed cells than in control cells, and in dividing cells as compared to nondividing cells.

Intercellular contact and cell-surface galactosyl transferase activity (cell culture-mouse-radioautography-contact inhibition-cis-and trans-galactosylation)

Evidence is presented suggesting the presence of galactosyl transferases and galactosyl acceptors on the outer surfaces of intact Balb/c 3T3 cells. In addition, the data indicate that these transferases may only be capable of transferring galactose from uridine diphosphate galactose to galactosyl acceptors on adjacent cells after intercellular contact is made (trans-glycosylation). Intact Balb/c 3T12 cells, by contrast, show no requirement for intercellular contact in order to carry out this reaction suggesting that these cells, which do not exhibit contact inhibition of growth, may be able to transfer galactose to acceptors situated on the same cell as the enzyme (cis-glycosylation). Electrophoretic and radioautographic assays were used to detect surface transferase activities in these two cell lines. Results of experiments on cells from sparse and dense cultures, and under conditions where intercellular contact was regulated, are consistent with the above hypothesis.

Contact-inhibited revertant cell lines isolated from SV40-transformed cells. I. Biologic, virologic, and chemical properties

Two contact-inhibited "revertant" cell lines were isolated from an SV40-transformed mouse 3T3 cell line (SV-3T3) after exposure to 5-fluoro-2'-deoxyuridine. Revertant cells resembled 3T3 cells morphologically and grew to saturation densities which were similar to those of 3T3 cells; however, revertant cells readily formed both single and multinucleated giant cells in confluent cultures. SV40 virus was rescued from revertant cells by fusion with permissive monkey cells. The rescued virus transformed 3T3 cells with the same efficiency as wild type virus, and produced transformed colonies which were phenotypically similar to those produced by wild type virus. The revertant cells also resembled normal 3T3 cells in that they contained higher quantities of sialic acid than SV-3T3 cells. An inverse correlation was found between the saturation density of cells and their sialic acid content. Collagen content, however, of revertant cells was similar to that of SV-3T3 cells. The data presented suggest that the property of contact inhibition in revertant cells is related to the sialic acid content of the plasma membrane and that changes in sialic acid content of transformed cells are not directly specified by the viral genome.

Cell density-dependent changes of glycolipid concentrations in fibroblasts, and loss of this response in virus-transformed cells

The glycolipids of normal fibroblasts cells at different stages of growth and with differing degrees of susceptibility to contact inhibition have been analyzed, as well as the glycolipids of virally transformed cells. The concentrations (per mg protein) of certain glycolipids, including galactosylgalactosyl-glucosyl-, N-acetylneuraminosylgalactosylglucosyl-, and N-acetylneuraminosyl-(N-acetylneuraminosyl)galactosylglucosyl-c eramide, increase on cell-to-cell contact of susceptible cells. The concentrations of these glycolipids decrease when susceptibility to contact inhibition is lost as a result of extensive passage in vitro or transformation by simian virus 40 or polyoma virus, and in all the malignant cells examined, the concentrations of these glycolipids were independent of cell density.

Proteins specified by herpes simplex virus. 3. Viruses differing in their effects on the social behavior of infected cells specify different membrane glycoproteins

We examined the electrophoretic properties of the proteins and glycoproteins in the smooth membranes and virions purified from cells infected with herpes simplex virus strains differing with respect to their effects on the interaction of cells among themselves. The data show the following: (1) The glycoproteins in virions and binding to membranes share common features but vary quantitatively and qualitatively depending on the virus strain. (2) The binding to smooth membranes is ordered and not random. (3) Differences in the glycosylation of membrane proteins in African green monkey (VERO) and human (HEp-2) cells indicate that glycosylation is at least in part determined by the host.

Proteins spcified by herpes simplex virus. II. Viral glycoprotins associated with cellular membranes

Membranes prepared from HEp-2 cells infected with herpes simplex virus and free from soluble proteins, virus, ribosomes, and other cellular constituents were solubilized and subjected to electrophoresis on acrylamide gels. The electropherograms showed the following. (i) The synthesis of host proteins and glycoproteins ceases after infection. However, the spectrum of host proteins in membranes remains unaltered. (ii) Between 4 and 22 hr postinfection, at least four glycoproteins are synthesized and bound to the smooth cytoplasmic membranes. On electrophoresis, these glycoproteins form two major and two minor bands in the gel and migrate with proteins ranging from 50,000 to 100,000 daltons in molecular weight. (iii) The same glycoproteins are present in all membranes fractionated by density and in partially purified virus. The implications of the data are discussed.