Differential sensitivity to pertussis toxin of 3T3 cells transformed with different oncogenes

Pertussis toxin (PT), which blocks the activity of several G-proteins, has been found to exert a marked inhibitory effect on the DNA synthesis induced in 3T3 cells by serum or growth factors. 3T3 cells transformed with human c-ras oncogenes (Ha-ras, Ki-ras, N-ras) or with src, an oncogene coding for a protein kinase, have lost sensitivity to growth control by PT, even though substrates for PT can still be ADP-ribosylated in vivo. In contrast, 3T3 cells transformed with the SV40 virus behave like normal untransformed cells with respect to the ability of PT to decrease their growth rate. Oncogenes can thus likely be classified either as 'responders' or 'non-responders' to PT.