Increase in the lipid intermediate pathway of protein glycosylation during hen oviduct differentiation.

Oviduct membrane preparations from chicks treated for various times, up to 20 days, with diethylstilbestrol were studied to determine the effect of estrogen-induced differen- tiation on the lipid intermediate pathway of protein glyco- sylation. A significant increase in the transfer of [‘4Clmannose from GDP-[‘*C]Man into [14C]mannosylphos- phoryldolichol, [Wlmannosyloligosaccharide lipid, and [14Clmannosylprotein is found after animals are treated with diethylstilbestrol. These increases parallel increases in the amounts of ovalbumin, lysozyme, and oviduct wet weight. Mannosylphosphoryldolichol and mannosyloligo- saccharide lipid labeled by GDP-[W]Man, using prepara- tions from diethylstilbestrol-treated animals, are chromato- graphically identical to the compounds isolated from mem- brane preparations from mature hens. The specific activities and time courses of reaction are equivalent in fully induced preparations from diethylstilbestrol-treated animals and preparations derived from mature animals. The apparent