scholarly journals The polo-like kinase Plx1 is required for M phase exit and destruction of mitotic regulators in Xenopus egg extracts

1998 ◽  
Vol 17 (5) ◽  
pp. 1328-1335 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Descombes
Keyword(s):  
M Phase ◽  
Egg Extracts ◽  
Xenopus Egg ◽  
Xenopus Egg Extracts

scholarly journals Phosphorylation and activation of the Xenopus Cdc25 phosphatase in the absence of Cdc2 and Cdk2 kinase activity.

1995 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 215-226 ◽  
Author(s):  
T Izumi ◽  
J L Maller
Keyword(s):  
Kinase Activity ◽  
Cdc2 Kinase ◽  
Nuclear Envelope Breakdown ◽  
Dual Specificity ◽  
M Phase ◽  
Egg Extracts ◽  
Xenopus Egg ◽  
Xenopus Egg Extracts

The M-phase inducer, Cdc25C, is a dual-specificity phosphatase that directly phosphorylates and activates the cyclin B/Cdc2 kinase complex, leading to initiation of mitosis. Cdc25 itself is activated at the G2/M transition by phosphorylation on serine and threonine residues. Previously, it was demonstrated that Cdc2 kinase is capable of phosphorylating and activating Cdc25, suggesting the existence of a positive feedback loop. In the present study, kinases other than Cdc2 that can phosphorylate and activate Cdc25 were investigated. Cdc25 was found to be phosphorylated and activated by cyclin A/Cdk2 and cyclin E/Cdk2 in vitro. However, in interphase Xenopus egg extracts with no detectable Cdc2 and Cdk2, treatment with the phosphatase inhibitor microcystin activated a distinct kinase that could phosphorylate and activate Cdc25. Microcystin also induced other mitotic phenomena such as chromosome condensation and nuclear envelope breakdown in extracts containing less than 5% of the mitotic level of Cdc2 kinase activity. These findings implicate a kinase other than Cdc2 and Cdk2 that may initially activate Cdc25 in vivo and suggest that this kinase may also phosphorylate M-phase substrates even in the absence of Cdc2 kinase.

scholarly journals Induction of a Spindle-Assembly-Competent M Phase in Xenopus Egg Extracts

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (8) ◽  
pp. 1273-1285.e5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jitender S. Bisht ◽  
Miroslav Tomschik ◽  
Jesse C. Gatlin
Keyword(s):  
Spindle Assembly ◽  
M Phase ◽  
Egg Extracts ◽  
Xenopus Egg ◽  
Xenopus Egg Extracts

Calcineurin is required to release Xenopus egg extracts from meiotic M phase

Nature ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 449 (7160) ◽  
pp. 336-340 ◽  
Author(s):  
Satoru Mochida ◽  
Tim Hunt
Keyword(s):  
M Phase ◽  
Egg Extracts ◽  
Xenopus Egg ◽  
Xenopus Egg Extracts

scholarly journals Roles of Greatwall Kinase in the Regulation of Cdc25 Phosphatase

2008 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 1317-1327 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yong Zhao ◽  
Olivier Haccard ◽  
Ruoning Wang ◽  
Jiangtao Yu ◽  
Jian Kuang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Protein Kinase ◽  
Xenopus Oocytes ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase ◽  
Mitotic Entry ◽  
M Phase ◽  
Egg Extracts ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein ◽  
Xenopus Egg ◽  
Greatwall Kinase ◽  
Xenopus Egg Extracts

We previously reported that immunodepletion of Greatwall kinase prevents Xenopus egg extracts from entering or maintaining M phase due to the accumulation of inhibitory phosphorylations on Thr14 and Tyr15 of Cdc2. M phase–promoting factor (MPF) in turn activates Greatwall, implying that Greatwall participates in an MPF autoregulatory loop. We show here that activated Greatwall both accelerates the mitotic G2/M transition in cycling egg extracts and induces meiotic maturation in G2-arrested Xenopus oocytes in the absence of progesterone. Activated Greatwall can induce phosphorylations of Cdc25 in the absence of the activity of Cdc2, Plx1 (Xenopus Polo-like kinase) or mitogen-activated protein kinase, or in the presence of an activator of protein kinase A that normally blocks mitotic entry. The effects of active Greatwall mimic in many respects those associated with addition of the phosphatase inhibitor okadaic acid (OA); moreover, OA allows cycling extracts to enter M phase in the absence of Greatwall. Taken together, these findings support a model in which Greatwall negatively regulates a crucial phosphatase that inhibits Cdc25 activation and M phase induction.

scholarly journals The M Phase Kinase Greatwall (Gwl) Promotes Inactivation of PP2A/B55δ, a Phosphatase Directed Against CDK Phosphosites

2009 ◽  
Vol 20 (22) ◽  
pp. 4777-4789 ◽  
Author(s):  
Priscila V. Castilho ◽  
Byron C. Williams ◽  
Satoru Mochida ◽  
Yong Zhao ◽  
Michael L. Goldberg
Keyword(s):  
Cyclin B ◽  
Regulatory Subunit ◽  
Cyclin Dependent Kinases ◽  
M Phase ◽  
Egg Extracts ◽  
Xenopus Egg ◽  
Greatwall Kinase ◽  
Xenopus Egg Extracts ◽  
Phase Entry ◽  
Dependent Mechanism

We have previously shown that Greatwall kinase (Gwl) is required for M phase entry and maintenance in Xenopus egg extracts. Here, we demonstrate that Gwl plays a crucial role in a novel biochemical pathway that inactivates, specifically during M phase, “antimitotic” phosphatases directed against phosphorylations catalyzed by cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs). A major component of this phosphatase activity is heterotrimeric PP2A containing the B55δ regulatory subunit. Gwl is activated during M phase by Cdk1/cyclin B (MPF), but once activated, Gwl promotes PP2A/B55δ inhibition with no further requirement for MPF. In the absence of Gwl, PP2A/B55δ remains active even when MPF levels are high. The removal of PP2A/B55δ corrects the inability of Gwl-depleted extracts to enter M phase. These findings support the hypothesis that M phase requires not only high levels of MPF function, but also the suppression, through a Gwl-dependent mechanism, of phosphatase(s) that would otherwise remove MPF-driven phosphorylations.

scholarly journals Chromokinesin Xklp1 Contributes to the Regulation of Microtubule Density and Organization during Spindle Assembly

2006 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 1451-1460 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mirco Castoldi ◽  
Isabelle Vernos
Keyword(s):  
Cell Division ◽  
Spindle Assembly ◽  
Embryonic Cell ◽  
Microtubule Polymerization ◽  
M Phase ◽  
Egg Extracts ◽  
Xenopus Egg ◽  
Directed Motility ◽  
Xenopus Egg Extracts ◽  
Bipolar Spindles

Xklp1 is a chromosome-associated kinesin required for Xenopus early embryonic cell division. Function blocking experiments in Xenopus egg extracts suggested that it is required for spindle assembly. We have reinvestigated Xklp1 function(s) by monitoring spindle assembly and microtubule behavior under a range of Xklp1 concentrations in egg extracts. We found that in the absence of Xklp1, bipolar spindles form with a reduced efficiency and display abnormalities associated with an increased microtubule mass. Likewise, centrosomal asters assembled in Xklp1-depleted extract show an increased microtubule mass. Conversely, addition of recombinant Xklp1 to the extract reduces the microtubule mass associated with spindles and asters. Our data suggest that Xklp1 affects microtubule polymerization during M-phase. We propose that these attributes, combined with Xklp1 plus-end directed motility, contribute to the assembly of a functional bipolar spindle.

scholarly journals A Novel Role for Cdk1/Cyclin B in Regulating B-Raf Activation at Mitosis

2008 ◽  
Vol 19 (7) ◽  
pp. 2907-2915 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sergiy I. Borysov ◽  
Thomas M. Guadagno
Keyword(s):  
Mapk Cascade ◽  
Cyclin B ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Mapk Activity ◽  
M Phase ◽  
Egg Extracts ◽  
Xenopus Egg ◽  
Subsequent Activation ◽  
Xenopus Egg Extracts

MAPK activity is important during mitosis for spindle assembly and maintenance of the spindle checkpoint arrest. We previously identified B-Raf as a critical activator of the MAPK cascade during mitosis in Xenopus egg extracts and showed that B-Raf activation is regulated in an M-phase–dependent manner. The mechanism that mediates B-Raf activation at mitosis has not been elucidated. Interestingly, activation of 95-kDa B-Raf at mitosis does not require phosphorylation of Thr-599 and Ser-602 residues (Thr-633 and Ser-636 in Xenopus B-Raf), previously shown to be essential for B-Raf activation by Ras. Instead, we provide evidence for Cdk1/cyclin B in mediating mitotic activation of B-Raf. In particular, Cdk1/cyclin B complexes associate with B-Raf at mitosis in Xenopus egg extracts and contribute to its phosphorylation. Mutagenesis and in vitro kinase assays demonstrated that Cdk1/cyclin B directly phosphorylates B-Raf at Serine-144, which is part of a conserved Cdk1 preferential consensus site (S144PQK). Importantly, phosphorylation of Ser-144 is absolutely required for mitotic activation of B-Raf and subsequent activation of the MAPK cascade. However, substitution of a phospho-mimicking amino acid at Ser-144 failed to produce a constitutive active B-Raf indicating that, in addition of Ser-144 phosphorylation, other regulatory events may be needed to activate B-Raf at mitosis. Taken together, our data reveal a novel cell cycle mechanism for activating the B-Raf/MEK/MAPK cascade.

scholarly journals Post–Cytochrome c Protection from Apoptosis Conferred by a MAPK Pathway in Xenopus Egg Extracts

2002 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 393-401 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica S. Tashker ◽  
Michael Olson ◽  
Sally Kornbluth
Keyword(s):  
Cytochrome C ◽  
Mapk Pathway ◽  
Intermembrane Space ◽  
Caspase Activation ◽  
Cytochrome C Release ◽  
M Phase ◽  
Egg Extracts ◽  
Xenopus Egg ◽  
Xenopus Egg Extracts

In response to many different apoptotic stimuli, cytochrome c is released from the intermembrane space of the mitochondria into the cytoplasm, where it serves as a cofactor in the activation of procaspase 9. Inhibition of this process can occur either by preventing cytochrome c release or by blocking caspase activation or activity. Experiments involving in vitro reconstitution of apoptosis in cell-free extracts of Xenopus laevis eggs have suggested that extracts arrested in interphase are susceptible to an endogenous apoptotic program leading to caspase activation, whereas extracts arrested in meiotic metaphase are not. We report here that Mos/MEK/MAPK pathways active in M phase–arrested eggs are responsible for rendering them refractory to apoptosis. Interestingly, M phase–arrested extracts are competent to release cytochrome c, yet still do not activate caspases. Concomitantly, we have also demonstrated that recombinant Mos, MEK, and ERK are sufficient to block cytochrome c–dependent caspase activation in purified Xenopus cytosol, which lacks both transcription and translation. These data indicate that the MAP kinase pathway can target and inhibit post–cytochrome c release apoptotic events in the absence of new mRNA/protein synthesis and that this biochemical pathway is responsible for the apoptotic inhibition observed in meiotic X. laevis egg extracts.

scholarly journals Initiation of Cyclin B Degradation by the 26S Proteasome upon Egg Activation

1997 ◽  
Vol 138 (6) ◽  
pp. 1313-1322 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toshinobu Tokumoto ◽  
Masakane Yamashita ◽  
Mika Tokumoto ◽  
Yoshinao Katsu ◽  
Ryo Horiguchi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
26S Proteasome ◽  
Biologically Active ◽  
Cyclin B ◽  
Regulatory Subunit ◽  
Egg Activation ◽  
Protein Kinase Activity ◽  
M Phase ◽  
Egg Extracts ◽  
Xenopus Egg ◽  
Xenopus Egg Extracts

Immediately before the transition from metaphase to anaphase, the protein kinase activity of maturation or M-phase promoting factor (MPF) is inactivated by a mechanism that involves the degradation of its regulatory subunit, cyclin B. The availability of biologically active goldfish cyclin B produced in Escherichia coli and purified goldfish proteasomes (a nonlysosomal large protease) has allowed the role of proteasomes in the regulation of cyclin degradation to be examined for the first time. The 26S, but not the 20S proteasome, digested recombinant 49-kD cyclin B at lysine 57 (K57), producing a 42-kD truncated form. The 42-kD cyclin was also produced by the digestion of native cyclin B forming a complex with cdc2, a catalytic subunit of MPF, and a fragment transiently appeared during cyclin degradation when eggs were released from metaphase II arrest by egg activation. Mutant cyclin at K57 was resistant to both digestion by the 26S proteasome and degradation at metaphase/anaphase transition in Xenopus egg extracts. The results of this study indicate that the destruction of cyclin B is initiated by the ATP-dependent and ubiquitin-independent proteolytic activity of 26S proteasome through the first cutting in the NH2 terminus of cyclin (at K57 in the case of goldfish cyclin B). We also surmise that this cut allows the cyclin to be ubiquitinated for further destruction by ubiquitin-dependent activity of the 26S proteasome that leads to MPF inactivation.

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