Characterization of avian retroviruses carrying activated transforming human c-src genes and of steps involved in expression of activated src-PKases in vitro.

We have isolated four activated transforming human c-src mutants derived spontaneously from viruses carrying the normal human c-src (SRC) genes in the form of Rous sarcoma virus. These mutants induced transformed cell morphology distinguishable from each other in vitro as well as tumors in chicks, whereas normal SRC-carrying viruses did not. Analyses of the transforming SRC proteins together with the normal SRC protein showed that levels of the carboxy-terminal Tyr-phosphorylation were negatively correlated with both transforming ability and protein kinase (PKase) activity as determined by in vitro autophosphorylation. It was observed that two cell lysis methods, that is, NP-40 and RIPA, yielded two different phosphorylated forms of transforming SRC proteins: one possessed low levels of phosphorylation at the autophosphorylation site and the other possessed high levels of phosphorylation at this site. Using the two types of transforming SRC preparations, we have studied in vitro SRC-PKase reactions in relation to in vivo and in vitro autophosphorylation and in vitro phosphorylation of an exogenous substrate. A possible functional relationship between autophosphorylation and SRC-PKase expression is discussed.