The late-domain-containing protein p6 is the predominant phosphoprotein of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 particles.

The Gag-derived protein p6 of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) plays a crucial role in the release of virions from the membranes of infected cells. It is presumed that p6 and functionally related proteins from other viruses act as adapters, recruiting cellular factors to the budding site. This interaction is mediated by so-called late domains within the viral proteins.

Correlation between the conformational phenotype of p53 and its subcellular location.

In order to obtain insight into the parameters determining the subcellular localization of mutant and wild-type forms of p53, we analysed the subcellular distribution of p53 in four Balb/c mouse-derived cell lines ranging in their cellular phenotypes from normal (3T3), via minimal transformant (T3T3), to maximally transformed (3T3tx, Meth A). Epitope mapping showed the p53 proteins in 3T3 and in T3T3 cells to be in a wild-type conformation, as they reacted with PAb246, whereas p53 in 3T3tx and in Meth A cells were PAb246 negative and thus displayed a mutant conformation. Despite its reactivity with PAb246, p53 in T3T3 cells had an extended half-life and accumulated to abnormally high levels.

Species-specific phosphorylation of mouse and rat p53 in simian virus 40-transformed cells.

We have analyzed in detail the phosphorylation of p53 from normal (3T3) and simian virus 40 (SV40)-transformed (SV3T3) BALB/c mouse cells and from normal (F111) and SV40-transformed [FR(wt648)] rat cells by two-dimensional tryptic peptide mapping and phosphoamino acid analyses. To accommodate the different half-lives of p53 in normal (half-life, 15 min) and transformed (half-life, 20 h) cells and possible differences in the rates of turnover of phosphate at specific sites, cells were labeled for 2 h (short-term labeling) or 18 h (long-term labeling). Depending on the labeling conditions, either close similarities or marked differences were observed in the phosphorylation patterns of p53 from normal and transformed cells.

Phenotype-specific phosphorylation of simian virus 40 tsA mutant large T antigens in tsA N-type and A-type transformants.

To identify molecular differences between simian virus 40 (SV40) tsA58 mutant large tumor antigen (large T) in cells of tsA58 N-type transformants [FR(tsA58)A cells], which revert to the normal phenotype after the cells are shifted to the nonpermissive growth temperature, and mutant large T in tsA58 A-type transformants [FR(tsA58)57 cells], which maintain their transformed phenotype after the temperature shift, we asked whether the biological activity of these mutant large T antigens at the nonpermissive growth temperature might correlate with phosphorylation at specific sites. At the permissive growth temperature, the phosphorylation patterns of the mutant large T proteins in FR(tsA58)A (N-type) cells and in FR(tsA58)57 (A-type) cells were largely indistinguishable from that of wild-type large T in FR(wt648) cells. After a shift to the nonpermissive growth temperature, no significant changes in the phosphorylation patterns of wild-type large T in FR(wt648) or of mutant large T in FR(tsA58)57 (A-type) cells were observed.

Cell cycle control of p53 in normal (3T3) and chemically transformed (Meth A) mouse cells. II. Requirement for cell cycle progression.

To further characterize the role of p53 in growing normal Balb/c 3T3 fibroblasts, as well as of p53 in cells of the methylcholanthrene induced fibrosarcoma cell line Meth A, we analysed the effect of inhibition of p53 synthesis by microinjection of p53-specific monoclonal antibody PAb 122 into the nuclei of these cells after release from growth arrest induced by isoleucine starvation (see preceding paper [Steinmeyer et al., this issue] ). We show that microinjection of PAb 122, but not of control immunoglobulins, into the nuclei of both types of cells effectively blocked their re-entry into the S-phase of the cell cycle.