Antiserum to murine leukemia virus recognizes novel cell surface molecules associated with growth control and transformation.

Antiserum directed against murine leukemia virus also reacts with several external proteins present in rat cells transformed by a temperature-sensitive Rous sarcoma virus. Reaction of iodinated cell extracts with anti-MLV (murine leukemia virus) serum revealed the presence of a 200,000 dalton iodinated component detectable also by metabolic labelling with glucosamine only in serum-starved cultures restricted in the expression of transformation. A similar assay with iodinated cells that express the transformed phenotype revealed the preferential recognition of two components with an approximate molecular weight of 100,00 daltons as well as an additional 65,000-dalton external component. Growth of the transformed non-producer NT3-KR cells in the presence of inducers of C-type viruses leads to an increased synthesis of a 100,000-dalton glycoprotein (gp100) recognized by the anti-MLV serum which is also recognized by the antiserum in NRK-MSV-MLV transformed producer cells, in addition to a virus-like glycoprotein of 71,000 dalton (gp71). Absorption of the anti-MLV serum with monolayers of NT3-KR cells eliminated the ability of the serum to recognize the gp100 but not the gp71 from NRK-MSV-MLV-transformed producer cells. The mediation of post-translational changes in growth control is suggested by the transformation-dependent alteration in the molecular weight of the non-virion surface proteins recognized by anti-MLV serum in the rat cells used in this study.