Cell surface protein is the major cell surface glycoprotein of chick embryo fibroblasts. We have isolated and purified this glycoprotein and find that it is an adhesive protein that increases cell-cell and cell-substratum adhesiveness in a variety cellular adhesion assays. Transformation of chick fibroblasts results in decreased quantities of CSP due primarily to a fivefold reduction in CSP biosynthesis, although increased proteolytic degradation and shedding from the cell surface also contribute. The decreased biosynthesis is apparently due to a fivefold reduction in translatable mRNA for CSP. Reconstitution of isolated purified CSP on 14 transformed cell lines from several species results in reversion to a more normal fibroblastic morphology, adhesiveness, cell surface architecture, microfilament bundle organization, motility, and alignment at confluence. Cell surface protein does not restore growth control. The effects of CSP appear to be due to at least two actions, increased cell-substratum adhesion plus altered cell-cell interactions. Untransformed chick cells treated with affinity-purified antibodies to CSP develop the rounded morphology characteristic of many transformed cells that are deficient in CSP (LETS protein). Cell surface protein is found primarily in fibrillar aggregates on the cell surface. These CSP fibrils are relatively immobile and do not affect the mobility of other cell surface components. However, CSP can be eventually redistributed to caplike structures with anti-CSP. Isolated CSP consists of highly asymmetric disulfide-linked dimers and multimers. The interchain disulfide bridges are confined to a short terminal fragment that is readily removed by trypsin. Cell surface protein and cold-insoluble globulin have similar compositions but differ in solubility and amino termini. Cell surface protein contains primarily asparagine-linked oligosaccharides that appear to be responsible for CSP's concanavalin A receptor activity. Inhibition of CSP's glycosylation by treatment with tunicamycin results in decreased CSP due to marked increases in its degradation rate, without inhibition of synthesis or secretion. Studies of this major cell surface glycoprotein have provided insight into the biochemical mechanisms of cellular adhesion, morphology, and social interaction and provide an approach to analyze the dynamics and regulation of protein synthesis, glycosylation, secretion, and turnover.