Fibroblast Growth Factor, but not Activin, is a Potent Activator of Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase in Xenopus Explants

Isolated explants from the animal hemisphere of Xenopus embryos were incubated with Xenopus basic fibroblast growth factor (XbFGF) or human activin A. XbFGF incubation resulted in the rapid activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and ribosomal S6 protein kinase (pp90rsk) in a dose-depe...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS 1994-03, Vol.91 (5), p.1662-1666
Main Authors: Graves, Lee M., Northrop, Jennifer L., Potts, Brian C., Krebs, Edwin G., Kimelman, David
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Activins
Animals
Biological and medical sciences
Cultured cells
Embryo, Nonmammalian - drug effects
Embryo, Nonmammalian - enzymology
Embryology: invertebrates and vertebrates. Teratology
Embryos
Enzyme Activation - drug effects
Fertilization
Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 - pharmacology
Fibroblast growth factors
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Gastrula - drug effects
Gastrula - enzymology
Gels
Gene expression regulation
In Vitro Techniques
Inhibins - pharmacology
Mesoderm
Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1
Molecular embryology
Myelin Basic Protein - metabolism
Phosphorylation
Protein-Serine-Threonine Kinases - metabolism
Protein-Tyrosine Kinases - metabolism
Proteins - pharmacology
Ribosomal Protein S6 Kinases
RNA
Signal Transduction
Xenopus
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Summary:Isolated explants from the animal hemisphere of Xenopus embryos were incubated with Xenopus basic fibroblast growth factor (XbFGF) or human activin A. XbFGF incubation resulted in the rapid activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and ribosomal S6 protein kinase (pp90rsk) in a dose-dependent manner with the highest levels of activation occurring at 50 ng/ml. Maximal activation occurred within 6-10 min after the addition of growth factor, and the activity of both kinases declined to unstimulated levels after 30 min. Activin was unable to activate either MAPK or pp90rskin the Xenopus explants to a substantial level, although it induced dorsal mesoderm better than XbFGF under the same experimental conditions. The regulatory protein Xwnt-8 did not activate MAPK, nor did it enhance the activation of MAPK by XbFGF. XbFGF was able to activate MAPK through at least the midgastrula stage, suggesting that this family of growth factors may have a role in gastrula-stage events.
ISSN:0027-8424
1091-6490
DOI:10.1073/pnas.91.5.1662