Myristic acid, a rare fatty acid, is the lipid attached to the transforming protein of Rous sarcoma virus and its cellular homolog

Journal Article · Mon Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1984 · J. Virol.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5710032

Buss, J E; Sefton, B M

The lipid bound to p60/sub src/, the transforming protein of Rous sarcoma virus, has been identified by gas and thin-layer chromatography as the 14-carbon saturated fatty acid, myristic acid. The protein can be labeled biosynthetically with either (/sub 3/H)myristic acid or (/sub 3/H)palmitic acid. Incorporation of (/sub 3/H)myristic acid was noticeably greater than incorporation of (/sub 3/H)palmitic acid. All of the (/sub 3/H)myristic acid-derived label in p60/sub src/ was present as myristic acid. In contrast, none of the radioactivity derived from (/sub 3/H)palmitic acid was recovered as palmitic acid. Instead, all /sub 3/H incorporated into p60/sub src/ from (/sub 3/H)palmitic acid arose by metabolism to myristic acid. The cellular tyrosine kinase, p60c-/sub src/ also contains myristic acid. By comparison of the extent of myristylation of p60v-/sub src/ with that of the Moloney murine leukemia virus structural protein precursor, Pr65gag, the authors estimate that greater than 80% of the molecules of p60v-/sub src/ contain one molecule of this fatty acid. Myristylation is a rare form of protein modification. p60v-/sub src/ contains 10 to 40% of the myristic acid bound to protein in cells transformed by Rous sarcoma virus and is easily identified in total cell lysates when (/sub 3/H)myristic acid-labeled proteins are separated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Comparison of the amount of (/sub 3/H)myristic acid-labeled p60/sub src/ in total cell lysates and in immunoprecipitates suggests that immunoprecipitation with rabbit anti-Rous sarcoma virus tumor sera detects ca. 25% of the p60/sub src/ present in cells.

• Research Organization: Molecular Biology and Virology Lab., San Diego, CA
• OSTI ID: 5710032
• Journal Information: J. Virol.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Virol.; (United States) Vol. 53:1; ISSN JOVIA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550201* -- Biochemistry-- Tracer Techniques
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
BIOCHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
CHROMATOGRAPHY
ELECTROPHORESIS
ENZYMES
GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY
HEXADECANOIC ACID
IMMUNE SERUMS
KINETICS
LABELLED COMPOUNDS
MICROORGANISMS
MONOCARBOXYLIC ACIDS
ONCOGENIC VIRUSES
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PARASITES
PHOSPHORUS-GROUP TRANSFERASES
PHOSPHOTRANSFERASES
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
REACTION KINETICS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
TETRADECANOIC ACID
THIN-LAYER CHROMATOGRAPHY
TRANSFERASES
TRITIUM COMPOUNDS
VIRUSES