Induction of metaphase arrest in cleaving Xenopus embryos by the protein kinase p90Rsk

Before fertilization, vertebrate eggs are arrested in metaphase of meiosis II by cytostatic factor (CSF), an activity that requires activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway. To investigate whether CSF arrest is mediated by the protein kinase p90Rsk, which is phosphorylated a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 1999-11, Vol.286 (5443), p.1365-1367
Main Authors: GROSS, S. D, SCHWAB, M. S, LEWELLYN, A. L, MALLER, J. L
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
3-Phosphoinositide-Dependent Protein Kinases
Animals
Biological and medical sciences
Blastomeres - cytology
Blastomeres - enzymology
Cell physiology
Embryos
Enzyme Activation
Feedback (Response)
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Genes
MAP Kinase Signaling System
Meiosis
Metaphase
Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases - metabolism
Molecular and cellular biology
Oocytes - cytology
Oocytes - enzymology
Protein-Serine-Threonine Kinases - metabolism
Proteins
Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-mos - genetics
Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-mos - metabolism
Recombinant Proteins - metabolism
Ribosomal Protein S6 Kinases - genetics
Ribosomal Protein S6 Kinases - metabolism
RNA, Messenger - genetics
Signal transduction
Spindle Apparatus - ultrastructure
Vertebrates
Xenopus
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Summary:Before fertilization, vertebrate eggs are arrested in metaphase of meiosis II by cytostatic factor (CSF), an activity that requires activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway. To investigate whether CSF arrest is mediated by the protein kinase p90Rsk, which is phosphorylated and activated by MAPK, a constitutively activated (CA) form of Rsk was expressed in Xenopus embryos. Expression of CA Rsk resulted in cleavage arrest, and cytological analysis showed that arrested blastomeres were in M phase with prominent spindles characteristic of meiotic metaphase. Thus, Rsk appears to be the mediator of MAPK-dependent CSF arrest in vertebrate unfertilized eggs.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.286.5443.1365