Effects of a sialoglycopeptide on early events associated with signal transduction

A sialoglycopeptide (SGP), isolated and purified from bovine cerebral cortex cells, was studied in regard to early signal transduction events associated with the cell cycle. Previously shown to be a potent antagonist to a variety of mitogens, the SGP abrogated the ability of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13 acetate (TPA) to elicit an alkalinization of 3T3 cell cytosol, but only when added minutes prior to, or simultaneously with, the tumor promoter. 3T3 cell TPA-mediated Ca2+ mobilization was also inhibited by the SGP although the inhibitor itself did not bind Ca2+ in a cell-free assay. The results are discussed in light of the already known kinetics of interaction between the SGP, various mitogens, and the calcium ionophore A23187 with regard to the pivotal events leading to the decision of a cell to divide or not to divide.