Phosphoproteins: structural components of oncornaviruses.

Oncornaviruses, which contain a virion-associated protein kinase, were found to possess phosphoproteins as virion structural components. One major phosphoprotein common to strains of laboratory and wild mouse oncornaviruses and a strain of feline leukemia virus was shown to be a polypeptide of about 12, 000 mol wt. In addition to this, the Kirsten strain of murine sarcoma virus contained a second major phosphoprotein of about 10, 000 mol wt, and mouse erythroblastosis virus contained a second major phosphoprotein that was either identical to or comigrated with the virion glycoprotein of about 74, 000 mol wt. The major phosphoprotein of RD-114 virus was found to be of about 16, 000 mol wt. The major phosphoamino acid of the 12, 000-mol wt polypeptide of the mouse erythroblastosis virus was identified as phosphoserine, and that of the 16, 000-mol wt polypeptide of the RD-114 virus was identified as phosphothreonine.