The role of calmodulin in the proliferation of transformed and phenotypically normal tsASV-infected rat cells.

NRK cells infected with a temperature-sensitive, transformation-defective mutant of avian sarcoma virus (ASV), tsLA23, behaved as if nontransformed at a nonpermissive 40 degrees C and were rendered quiescent by serum deprivation. These serum-deprived cells were stimulated to start entering S phase about 7 hours after serum addition at 40 degrees C or about 9 hours after shifting the cultures to 36 degrees C, a temperature allowing the production of active viral pp60src and expression of the transformed phenotype. The transit of both serum- and temperature-stimulated tsLA23-NRK cells through later G1 was inhibited by the unrelated calmodulin antagonists W7 and R24571. The former drug was found to block the cells at a point in the cell cycle no more than 2 hours from the G1/S transition. The weaker calmodulin antagonist, W5, was less effective in impairing progression. Thus, calmodulin is likely required for the transit of both transformed and phenotypically normal tsLA23-NRK cells through the later stages of their G1 phases. Cells neoplastically transformed by ASV contain more calmodulin than uninfected, non-neoplastic cells. At the nonpermissive 40 degrees C, the calmodulin content of the tsLA23-NRK cells dropped to the non-neoplastic level. When these phenotypically nontransformed cells were enabled to reenter the cell cycle while still in low-serum medium by a 40 to 36 degrees C shift, they passed through the G1 and S phases and divided without a concomitant rise in the total calmodulin content. Thus, a calmodulin rise does not appear to be required for the expression of one characteristic of transformed cells, i.e., reduced requirement for exogenous growth factors.