Abnormal glycosylation of the env-sea oncogene product inhibits its proteolytic cleavage and blocks its transforming ability.

Cells transformed by the avian erythroblastosis virus S13 contain three proteins derived from the v-sea oncogene, gp155, gp70 (a cleavage product of gp155), and p38. It is not clear whether only one or all three of these proteins are required for transformation by S13. S13 transformed erythroblasts and fibroblasts revert to a normal morphology in the presence of the alpha glucosidase-1 inhibitor castanospermine, whereas cells transformed by the v-src or v-erbB oncogenes are unaffected by this drug. Treatment with castanospermine does not alter the tyrosine kinase autophosphorylation activity of any of the v-sea products, and the synthesis and processing of p38 is unaffected. Castanospermine modifies the structure of the carbohydrate chains of gp155 such that the glucose residues are retained, thereby inhibiting complex chain formation. Analysis of revertant S13 transformed cells shows that the proteolytic cleavage of the modified form of gp155 is inhibited, resulting in a very low yield of a modified form of gp70. There is no detectable effect of castanospermine on the transport of v-sea gene products to the cell surface. However, due to the inhibition of proteolytic cleavage, the modified form of gp155 is now the major v-sea encoded protein expressed on the cell surface. Thus it appears that the cell surface expression of a v-sea encoded protein with tyrosine kinase autophosphorylating activity is insufficient for cell transformation.