Characterization of polyoma virus T antigen.

High-titer antiserum raised in rats against the tumor (T) antigen of polyoma virus was used to purify the T antigen by the Staphylococcus protein A antibody adsorbent technique. Sodium dodecyl sulfate/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis allowed the identification of a protein with an apparent molecular weight of 100,000-108,000 as a major component induced in lytically infected mouse cells. In cells infected by ts A mutants this component was temperature sensitive. Several minor components were also observed. In pulse and chase experiments there was a slight decrease in electrophoretic mobility of T antigen during the chase period at the permissive temperature, suggesting that the T antigen is a modified protein. In two lines of transformed cells, the amount of T antigen seemed to be considerably less than in lytically infected cells, but the size of the antigen appeared to be equal.