Prominent increase in the amount of a cytosol protein in transformed fibroblasts and ascites hepatoma cells.

Analysis of cytosol proteins by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide slab gel electrophoresis revealed a prominent increase in the amount of a cytosol protein with molecular weight of 88 000 in transformed human adult, human embryo, mouse adult, and hamster embryo fibroblasts as compared with normal fibroblasts. The cytosol protein with Mr 88 000 is also increased in the cytosol of four kinds of rat ascites hepatoma cell as compared to normal and regenerating liver. The protein with Mr 88 000 exists as one of the major cytosol proteins in transformed fibroblasts hepatoma cells and HeLa cells, constituting 7--10% of total cytosol proteins. The data suggest that the cytosol protein with Mr 88 000 is associated with certain growth characteristics of cells.