Microtubule reorganization and lysosome redistribution by a viral v-src oncogene, in mouse Balb/3T3 cells expressing human EGF receptor.

The epidermal growth factor (EGF)-induced endocytosis of its receptor is an obligatory pathway for the cellular regulation of the EGF-specific receptor (EGF-R). BNER4 is a mouse Balb/3T3 cell line transfected with human EGF-R complementary DNA (cDNA). B4/src-13 and B4/src-24 are BNER4 cells transfected with a viral oncogene v-src. Indirect immunofluorescence study demonstrated that EGF-R was mostly localized at the perinuclear region in BNER4 cells at 60 min after EGF addition, whereas it was diffusely distributed throughout the cytoplasm in its v-src transfectants. Double indirect immunofluorescence study further confirmed that EGF-R was localized in lysosomes in BNER4 and B4/src-13 cells at 60 min after EGF addition. Intracellular distribution of the Golgi apparatus, clathrin-coated vesicles and early endosomes were similar in all cell lines. However, the lysosomes detected by anti-lysosomal membrane protein (LGP85) antibodies were diffusely distributed throughout the cytoplasm in the v-src transfectacts. By contrast, in the parental BNER4 cells, the lysosomes were mostly localized in the perinuclear region. The organization of microtubules, but not of actin, was markedly different between BNER4 cells and its v-src transfectants. Nocodazole, which depolymerizes microtubules, altered the distribution of the lysosomes and EGF-R in BNER4 cells. Both intracellular lysosome distribution and microtubule organization in nocodazole-treated BNER4 cells were found to be similar to those in its v-src transfectants without nocodazole treatment. These findings support the notion that changes in lysosome distribution may be correlated with microtubule reorganization by v-src in mouse Balb/3T3 cells.