Stimulation of sugar uptake and glycolysis in chicken embryo fibroblasts by the major glycoprotein from avian myeloblastosis virus.

Addition of purified major glycoprotein from avian myeloblastosis virus to growing or quiescent chicken embryo fibroblasts rapidly stimulates the rate of hexose transport and increases the lactic acid production. These stimulatory effects are dependent on the time of exposure and the dose of viral glycoprotein. In contrast, the glycoprotein only marginally affects hexose transport in chicken cells transformed by Rous sarcoma virus. Some effects of the glycoprotein on serum-starved quiescent cells were similar to those observed upon re-addition of serum; however, the viral glycoprotein did not stimulate DNA synthesis. Quiescent cells stimulated by saturating levels of serum showed little further stimulation of hexose uptake upon exposure to viral glycoprotein for 3 hr. This behavior suggests that the glycoprotein may be acting on a system that is also a target for serum action.