A variant line (LV-1) of mouse myeloma MOPC 315 (IgA, lambda 2) has lost the ability to synthesize L chain. It synthesizes an altered H chain (H' chain) that is turned over intracellularly and is not secreted. Rescue of H' chain secretion can be accomplished by fusion of LV-1 to a variant of another myeloma line, MPC 11 (IgG2b, kappa), which only synthesizes a light chain. The hybrid (X-2) secretes the H' chain in a four chain structure (kappa 2 alpha' 2). In wild-type MOPC 315 cells, it was reported previously that inhibition of core sugar addition blocks the secretion of the H chain polypeptide. We have studied glycosylation in MPOC 315 wild-type, LV-1 variant, and X-2 hybrid cell lines. The ability of all three lines to add the core sugars mannose and glucosamine to heavy chain was demonstrated. Due to the instability of the H' chain in LV-1, it is difficult to assess H' chain fucosylation directly. To study fucose addition in LV-1, the enveloped virus vesicular stomatitis (VSV), which can infect the three lines, was utilized. The fucosylation and secretion of VSV glycoprotein G was discernible in all three lines; however, only LV-1 cannot activate free fucose, and instead fucosylates through conversion of the mannose intermediate. Normal fucose addition to H chain in a wild-type cell occurred immediately before secretion. The fact that degradation of H' chain in LV-1 begins before fucosylation suggests that the rescue of H' chain secretion by formation of the X-2 hybrid is due to the acquired presence of a suitable L chain rather than complementation of a sugar defect. These observations indicate that proper assembly of the polypeptide components of some secretory proteins, e.g., Ig molecules, is required for the secretion of the individual chains.