Tumor-associated M(r) 34,000 and M(r) 32,000 membrane glycoproteins that are serine phosphorylated specifically in bovine leukemia virus-induced lymphosarcoma cells.

Tumor-associated antigens that are expressed in tumor cells of cattle with enzootic bovine leukosis (EBL) were analyzed previously by use of 13 monoclonal antibodies. We biochemically identified one of the tumor-associated antigens, which is recognized by the c143 monoclonal antibody, as two glycoproteins, each having an apparent molecular weight of 32,000 or 34,000. These glycoproteins were found in the plasma membrane of peripheral blood lymphocytes of both bovine leukemia virus (BLV)-free normal and BLV-infected cattle. With the progression of EBL, the proportion and the absolute number of cells positive for the tumor-associated antigen increased. Moreover, the level of the M(r) 34,000 component, which was susceptible to cell-surface labeling, increased over the level of the M(r) 32,000 component. Partial proteolytic peptide mapping with V8 protease and deglycosylation analysis revealed that the two glycoproteins most likely have an identical M(r) 30,000 polypeptide portion but have different N-linked oligosaccharide portions. Both glycoproteins were found to be phosphorylated at serine residue(s) in EBL-derived B-lymphoid cell lines and in tumor cells and peripheral blood lymphocytes from cattle with EBL, but not in peripheral blood lymphocytes from BLV-free normal cattle and BLV-infected cattle without any evidence of tumor, suggesting that the phosphorylation of these glycoproteins is related to the transformed state of the BLV-infected B-lymphoid cells.