Mos-induced p42 mitogen-activated protein kinase activation stabilizes M-phase in Xenopus egg extracts after cyclin destruction

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.

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Dephosphorylation of cdc25-C by a type-2A protein phosphatase: specific regulation during the cell cycle in Xenopus egg extracts.

Molecular Biology of the Cell ◽

10.1091/mbc.4.4.397 ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 4 (4) ◽

pp. 397-411 ◽

Cited By ~ 111

Author(s):

P R Clarke ◽

I Hoffmann ◽

G Draetta ◽

E Karsenti

Keyword(s):

Protein Kinase ◽

Protein Phosphatase ◽

Cyclin B ◽

Specific Inhibition ◽

Kinase Activation ◽

Protein Kinase Activation ◽

Egg Extracts ◽

Xenopus Egg ◽

Xenopus Egg Extracts ◽

Low Activity

We have examined the roles of type-1 (PP-1) and type-2A (PP-2A) protein-serine/threonine phosphatases in the mechanism of activation of p34cdc2/cyclin B protein kinase in Xenopus egg extracts. p34cdc2/cyclin B is prematurely activated in the extracts by inhibition of PP-2A by okadaic acid but not by specific inhibition of PP-1 by inhibitor-2. Activation of the kinase can be blocked by addition of the purified catalytic subunit of PP-2A at a twofold excess over the activity in the extract. The catalytic subunit of PP-1 can also block kinase activation, but very high levels of activity are required. Activation of p34cdc2/cyclin B protein kinase requires dephosphorylation of p34cdc2 on Tyr15. This reaction is catalysed by cdc25-C phosphatase that is itself activated by phosphorylation. We show that, in interphase extracts, inhibition of PP-2A by okadaic acid completely blocks cdc25-C dephosphorylation, whereas inhibition of PP-1 by specific inhibitors has no effect. This indicates that a type-2A protein phosphatase negatively regulates p34cdc2/cyclin B protein kinase activation primarily by maintaining cdc25-C phosphatase in a dephosphorylated, low activity state. In extracts containing active p34cdc2/cyclin B protein kinase, dephosphorylation of cdc25-C is inhibited, whereas the activity of PP-2A (and PP-1) towards other substrates is unaffected. We propose that this specific inhibition of cdc25-C dephosphorylation is part of a positive feedback loop that also involves direct phosphorylation and activation of cdc25-C by p34cdc2/cyclin B. Dephosphorylation of cdc25-C is also inhibited when cyclin A-dependent protein kinase is active, and this may explain the potentiation of p34cdc2/cyclin B protein kinase activation by cyclin A. In extracts supplemented with nuclei, the block on p34cdc2/cyclin B activation by unreplicated DNA is abolished when PP-2A is inhibited or when stably phosphorylated cdc25-C is added, but not when PP-1 is specifically inhibited. This suggests that unreplicated DNA inhibits p34cdc2/cyclin B activation by maintaining cdc25-C in a low activity, dephosphorylated state, probably by keeping the activity of a type-2A protein phosphatase towards cdc25-C at a high level.

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Activation of the p42 Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase Pathway Inhibits Cdc2 Activation and Entry into M-Phase in CyclingXenopus Egg Extracts

Molecular Biology of the Cell ◽

10.1091/mbc.9.2.451 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 451-467 ◽

Cited By ~ 40

Author(s):

John C. Bitangcol ◽

Andrew S.-S. Chau ◽

Ellamae Stadnick ◽

Manfred J. Lohka ◽

Bryan Dicken ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cell Cycle ◽

Protein Kinase ◽

Specific Inhibitor ◽

Mapk Signaling ◽

Cyclin B ◽

Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase ◽

M Phase ◽

Egg Extracts ◽

Mitogen Activated Protein ◽

Xenopus Egg Extracts

We have added constitutively active MAP kinase/ERK kinase (MEK), an activator of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway, to cycling Xenopus egg extracts at various times during the cell cycle. p42MAPK activation during entry into M-phase arrested the cell cycle in metaphase, as has been shown previously. Unexpectedly, p42MAPK activation during interphase inhibited entry into M-phase. In these interphase-arrested extracts, H1 kinase activity remained low, Cdc2 was tyrosine phosphorylated, and nuclei continued to enlarge. The interphase arrest was overcome by recombinant cyclin B. In other experiments, p42MAPK activation by MEK or by Mos inhibited Cdc2 activation by cyclin B. PD098059, a specific inhibitor of MEK, blocked the effects of MEK(QP) and Mos. Mos-induced activation of p42MAPK did not inhibit DNA replication. These results indicate that, in addition to the established role of p42MAPK activation in M-phase arrest, the inappropriate activation of p42MAPK during interphase prevents normal entry into M-phase.

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