The Gardner and Snyder-Theilen isolates of feline sarcoma virus (FeSV) have previously been shown to encode high-molecular-weight polyproteins with a transforming function and an associated tyrosine-specific protein kinase activity. Cells transformed by these viruses exhibited morphological alterations, elevated levels of phosphotyrosine, and a reduced capacity for binding epidermal growth factor. In addition, polyproteins encoded by both of these FeSV isolates bound to, and phosphorylated tyrosine acceptor sites within, a 150,000-molecular-weight cellular substrate (P150). McDonough FeSV-transformed cells resembled Gardner and Snyder-Theilen FeSV transformants with respect to morphological changes and a reduced capacity for epidermal growth factor binding. in contrast to the other two FeSV isolates, however, McDonough FeSV encoded as its major translational product a high-molecular-weight polyprotein with probable transforming function but without protein kinase activity detectable under similar assay conditions. Moreover, total cellular levels of phosphotyrosine remained unaltered in McDonough FeSV-transformed cells, and the major McDonough FeSV polyprotein translational product lacked binding affinity for P150. These findings argue for differences in the mechanisms of transformation by these independently derived FeSV isolates.