Production of transforming growth factors by simian sarcoma virus-transformed cells.

Cellular transformation of normal rat kidney (NRK) cells by simian sarcoma virus (SSV) results in a complete loss of the cellular requirement of externally added polypeptide growth factors for proliferation. Moreover, SSV-transformed NRK cells have a strongly reduced ability to bind both external platelet-derived growth factor and epidermal growth factor, when compared to nontransformed NRK cells. Analysis of serum-free medium conditioned by SSV-transformed NRK cells shows that this cell line secretes both types alpha and beta transforming growth factor (TGF). The level of TGF alpha production (300 ng/liter conditioned medium) by SSV-transformed NRK is among the highest described to date. Since addition of TGF alpha and beta in combination is sufficient to induce phenotypic transformation of NRK cells, it is concluded that although expression of the sis oncogene is essential for transformation, expression of additional genes may be required for the phenotypic alterations accompanying complete cellular transformation.