Role of carbohydrate in determining the immunochemical properties of the major glycoprotein (gp71) of Friend murine leukemia virus

Treatment of Friend leukemia virus gp71 with protease free glycosidase enzymes results in removal of the major portion of the carbohydrate without affecting the amount of protein present. The digested material migrates as a protein of about 60,000 to 65,000 molecular weight on sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Analyses of the serological properties of gp71 after enzyme treatment indicated that the type, group, and interspecies determinants were not destroyed. In contrast, treatment with proteolytic enzymes led to the complete destruction of the gp71 molecule, including the total elimination of its serological reactivity as measured by direct and competition radioimmunoassay and by a serum cytotoxicity assay. We conclude that the carbohydrate portion of gp71 is not of major significance in defining the antigenic determinants of this viral glycoprotein.