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The critical role of the MAP kinase pathway in meiosis II in Xenopus oocytes is mediated by p90Rsk

Background: During oocyte maturation in Xenopus, progesterone induces entry into meiosis I, and the M phases of meiosis I and II occur consecutively without an intervening S phase. The mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase is activated during meiotic entry, and it has been suggested that the linkag...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Current biology 2000-04, Vol.10 (8), p.430-438
Main Authors: Gross, Stefan D, Schwab, Markus S, Taieb, Frederic E, Lewellyn, Andrea L, Qian, Yue-Wei, Maller, James L
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:Background: During oocyte maturation in Xenopus, progesterone induces entry into meiosis I, and the M phases of meiosis I and II occur consecutively without an intervening S phase. The mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase is activated during meiotic entry, and it has been suggested that the linkage of M phases reflects activation of the MAP kinase pathway and the failure to fully degrade cyclin B during anaphase I. To analyze the function of the MAP kinase pathway in oocyte maturation, we used U0126, a potent inhibitor of MAP kinase kinase, and a constitutively active mutant of the protein kinase p90Rsk, a MAP kinase target. Results: Even with complete inhibition of the MAP kinase pathway by U0126, up to 90% of oocytes were able to enter meiosis I after progesterone treatment, most likely through activation of the phosphatase Cdc25C by the polo-like kinase Plx1. Subsequently, however, U0126-treated oocytes failed to form metaphase I spindles, failed to reaccumulate cyclin B to a high level and failed to hyperphosphorylate Cdc27, a component of the anaphase-promoting complex (APC) that controls cyclin B degradation. Such oocytes entered S phase rather than meiosis II. U0126-treated oocytes expressing a constitutively active form of p90Rsk were able to reaccumulate cyclin B, hyperphosphorylate Cdc27 and form metaphase spindles in the absence of detectable MAP kinase activity. Conclusions: The MAP kinase pathway is not essential for entry into meiosis I in Xenopus but is required during the onset of meiosis II to suppress entry into S phase, to regulate the APC so as to support cyclin B accumulation, and to support spindle formation. Moreover, one substrate of MAP kinase, p90Rsk, is sufficient to mediate these effects during oocyte maturation.
ISSN:0960-9822
1879-0445
DOI:10.1016/S0960-9822(00)00425-5