Characterization of protein kinase activity associated with the transforming gene product of Fujinami sarcoma virus.

Fujinami sarcoma virus (FSV), a newly characterized avian sarcoma virus, produces a protein of 140,000 daltons (p140) in infected cells. p140 is the product of a fused gene consisting of a part of the gag gene of avian retrovirus and FSV-unique sequences which are not related to the src sequences of Rous sarcoma virus. In vivo, p140 was found to be phosphorylated at both serine and tyrosine residues. Immunoprecipitates of p140 with antiserum against gag gene-coded proteins had a cyclic nucleotide-independent protein kinase activity which phosphorylated p140 itself, rabbit IgG of the immune complex and alpha-casein, an externally added soluble protein substrate. The phosphorylation was specific to tyrosine of the substrate proteins. p140 was phosphorylated in vitro at the same two tyrosine residues that were phosphorylated in vivo. The phosphate transferred to tyrosine residues of p140 forms a stable bond: it does not turn over during the kinase reaction, and the 32P-phosphate of p140 labeled in vitro or in vivo is not transferred to alpha-casein. FSV-p140 differs from p60src, the transforming protein of Rous sarcoma virus, in its marked preference of Mn2+ to Mg2+ ions, and in its inability to use GTP instead of ATP as the donor of gamma-phosphate.