Altered expression of cell surface N-linked oligosaccharides is associatedwith the oncogenic transformation of many types of animal cells. One of the most common forms of glycosylation in transformed cells and human tumors is the highly elevated beta1,6 branching of N-linked oligosaccharides caused by increased transcription of N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase V (GnT-V). To characterize the effects of increased beta1,6 branching on cell-matrix adhesion-mediated phenotypes, human fibrosarcoma HT1080 cells were transfected with retroviral systems encoding GnT-V that used both noninducible and tetracycline-inducible promoters. Increased GnT-V expression resulted in a >25% inhibition of cell attachment to and a >50% inhibition of cell spreading on fibronectin. Both cell adhesion and spreading were suppressed by function-blocking antibodies specific for the alpha(5) and beta(1) integrin subunits of the fibronectin receptor. Cell migration toward fibronectin and invasion through Matrigel were both substantially stimulated in cells with induced expression of GnT-V. Induction of GnT-V had no effect on the level of cell surface expression of alpha(5) and beta(1) integrin subunits but did result in a more diffuse staining of the alpha(5) and beta(1) integrin subunits on the cell surface, suggesting that inhibition of integrin clustering may be causing these cells to be less adhesive and more motile. Surprisingly, there was no detectable expression of N-linked beta1,6 branching on the alpha(5) subunit purified from HT1080 cells before and after induction of GnT-V; by contrast, however, the beta(1) subunit showed a basal level of beta1,6 branching that was greatly increased after induction of GnT-V. These results suggest that changes in N-linked beta1,6 branching that occur during oncogenesis alter cell-matrix adhesion and migration by modulating integrin clustering and subsequent signal transduction pathways. These effects most likely result from altered N-linked carbohydrate expression on the beta(1) integrin subunit.