Cyclin B2/cyclin-dependent kinase1 dissociation precedes CDK1 Thr-161 dephosphorylation upon M-phase promoting factor inactivation in Xenopus laevis cell-free extract

Cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (CDK1) is the enzymatic subunit of M-phase Promoting Factor (MPF). It is positively regulated by phosphorylation on Thr-161 and association with a cyclin B molecule. The role of Thr-161 dephosphorylation upon MPF inactivation remains unclear; nevertheless, degradation of cyclin B is thought to be a direct cause of MPF inactivation. However, MPF inactivation actually precedes cyclin B degradation in Xenopus cell-free extracts. Here we study in details the temporal relationship between histone H1 kinase (reflecting MPF activity) inactivation, Thr-161 dephosphorylation, CDK1-cyclin B2 dissociation and cyclin B2 proteolysis in such extracts. We show an asynchrony between inactivation of histone H1 kinase and degradation of cyclin B2. CDK1 dephosphorylation on Thr 161 is an even later event than cyclin B2 degradation, reinforcing the hypothesis that cyclin B dissociation from CDK1 is the key event inactivating MPF. Cyclins synthesized along with MPF inactivation could deliver shortly living active MPF molecules, potentially increasing the asynchrony between histone H1 kinase inactivation and cyclin B2 degradation. We confirm this by showing that in the absence of protein synthesis, such a tendency is lower, but nevertheless, still detectable. Finally, to characterise better CDK1/cyclin B dissociation, we show that CDK1 begins to dissociate from cyclin B2 before the very beginning of cyclin B2 degradation and that the diminution in CDK1-associated cyclin B2 is faster than the decline of its total pool. Thus, neither cyclin B2 degradation nor Thr-161 dephosphorylation participates directly in CDK1 inactivation as measured by histone H1 kinase decline upon the exit from mitotic M-phase in Xenopus embryo extract.     

Differences in regulation of the first two M-phases in Xenopus laevis embryo cell-free extracts

The first embryonic M-phase is special, being the time when paternal and maternal chromosomes mix together for the first time. Reports from a variety of species suggest that the regulation of first M-phase has many particularities; however, no systematic comparative study of the biochemical aspects of first and the following M-phases has been previously undertaken. Here, we ask whether the regulation of the first embryonic M-phase is modified, using Xenopus cell-free extracts. We developed new types of extract specific for the first and the second M-phase obtained either from parthenogenetic or from in vitro fertilized embryos. Analyses of these extracts confirmed that the amplitude of histone H1 kinase activity reflecting CDK1/cyclin B (or MPF for M-phase Promoting Factor) activity is higher and persists longer than during the second M-phase, and that levels of cyclins B1 and B2 are correspondingly higher during the first than the second embryonic M-phase. Inhibition of protein synthesis shortly before M-phase entry reduced mitotic histone H1 kinase amplitude, shortened the period of mitotic phosphorylation of chosen marker proteins, and reduced cyclin B1 and B2 levels, suggesting a role of B-type cyclins in regulating the duration of mitotic events. Moreover, addition of exogenous cyclin B to the extract prior the second mitosis brought forward the activation of mitotic histone H1 kinase but prolonged the duration of this activity. We also confirmed that the inhibitory phosphorylation of CDK1 on tyrosine 15 oscillates between the first two embryonic M-phases, but is clearly more pronounced before the first than the second mitosis, while the MAP kinase ERK2 tended to show greater activation during the first embryonic M-phase but with a similar duration of activation. We conclude that discrete differences exist between the first two M-phases in Xenopus embryo and that higher CDK1/cyclin B activity and B-type cyclin levels could account for the different characteristics of these M-phases.     

Role for cyclin-dependent kinase 2 in mitosis exit

Mitosis requires cyclin-dependent kinase (cdk) 1-cyclin B activity [1]. Exit from mitosis depends on the inactivation of the complex by the degradation of cyclin B [2]. Cdk2 is also active during mitosis [3, 4]. In Xenopus egg extracts, cdk2 is primarily in complex with cyclin E, which is stable [5]. At the end of mitosis, downregulation of cdk2-cyclin E activity is accompanied by inhibitory phosphorylation of cdk2 [6]. Here, we show that cdk2-cyclin E activity maintains cdk1-cyclin B during mitosis. At mitosis exit, cdk2 is inactivated prior to cdk1. The loss of cdk2 activity follows and depends upon an increase in protein kinase A (PKA) activity. Prematurely inactivating cdk2 advances the time of cyclin B degradation and cdk1 inactivation. Blocking PKA, instead, stabilizes cdk2 activity and inhibits cyclin B degradation and cdk1 inactivation. The stabilization of cdk1-cyclin B is also induced by a mutant cdk2-cyclin E complex that is resistant to inhibitory phosphorylation. P21-Cip1, which inhibits both wild-type and mutant cdk2-cyclin E, reverses mitotic arrest under either condition. Our findings indicate that the proteolysis-independent downregulation of cdk2 activity at the end of mitosis depends on PKA and is required to activate the proteolysis cascade that leads to mitosis exit.     

Phosphorylation of Xenopus cyclins B1 and B2 is not required for cell cycle transitions.

The cdc2 kinase and B-type cyclins are known to be components of maturation- or M-phase-promoting factor (MPF). Phosphorylation of cyclin B has been reported previously and may regulate entry into and exit from mitosis and meiosis. To investigate the role of cyclin B phosphorylation, we replaced putative cdc2 kinase phosphorylation sites in Xenopus cyclins B1 and B2 by using oligonucleotide site-directed mutagenesis. We found that Ser-90 of cyclin B2 and Ser-94 or Ser-96 of cyclin B1 are the main phosphorylation sites both in functional Xenopus egg extracts and after phosphorylation with purified MPF in vitro. Microtubule-associated protein (MAP) kinase from Xenopus eggs phosphorylated cyclin B1 significantly at Ser-94 or Ser-96, whereas it was largely inactive against cyclin B2. The substitutions that ablated phosphorylation at these sites, however, resulted in no functional differences between mutant and wild-type cyclin, as judged by the kinetics of M-phase degradation, induction of mitosis in egg extracts, or induction of oocyte maturation. These results indicate that the phosphorylation of Xenopus B-type cyclins by cdc2 kinase or MAP kinase is not required for the hallmark functions of cyclin.     

Inhibition of poly(A) polymerase requires p34cdc2/cyclin B phosphorylation of multiple consensus and non-consensus sites.

We showed previously that p34(cdc2)/cyclin B (MPF) hyperphosphorylates poly(A) polymerase (PAP) during M-phase of the cell cycle, causing repression of its enzymatic activity. Mutation of three cyclin-dependent kinase (cdk) consensus sites in the PAP C-terminal regulatory domain prevented complete phosphorylation and MPF-mediated repression. Here we show that PAP also contains four nearby non-consensus cdk sites that are phosphorylated by MPF. Remarkably, full phosphorylation of all these cdk sites was required for repression of PAP activity, and partial phosphorylation had no detectable effect. The consensus sites were phosphorylated in vitro at a 10-fold lower concentration of MPF than the non-consensus sites. Consistent with this, during meiotic maturation of Xenopus oocytes, consensus sites were phosphorylated prior to the non-consensus sites at metaphase of meiosis I, and remained so throughout maturation, while the non-consensus sites did not become fully phosphorylated until after 12 h of metaphase II arrest. We propose that PAP's multiple cdk sites, and their differential sensitivity to MPF, provide a mechanism to link repression specifically to late M-phase. We discuss the possibility that this reflects a general means to control the timing of cdk-dependent regulatory events during the cell cycle.     

Inactivation of p42 mitogen-activated protein kinase is required for exit from M-phase after cyclin destruction.

By using cycling Xenopus egg extracts, we have previously found that if mitogen-activated protein kinase (p42 MAPK) is activated on entry into mitosis (M-phase), the extract is arrested with condensed chromosomes and spindle microtubules. Here we show that these arrested extracts have high levels of M-phase promoting factor (MPF, Cyclin B/Cdc2) activity, stabilized levels of Cyclin B, and sustained M-phase-specific phosphorylations. We also examined the role of p42 MAPK in DNA damage checkpoint-arrested extracts that were induced to enter M-phase by the addition of Cdc25C protein. In these extracts, Cdc25C protein triggers the abrupt, premature activation of MPF and entry into M-phase. MPF activity then drops suddenly due to Cyclin B proteolysis, just as p42 MAPK is activated. Unexpectedly, however, M-phase is sustained, as judged by maintenance of M-phase-specific phosphorylations and condensed chromosomes. To determine if this M-phase arrest depended on p42 MAPK activation, we added PD98059 (PD), an inhibitor of p42 MAPK activation, to egg extracts with exogenous Cdc25. Both untreated and PD-treated extracts entered M-phase simultaneously, with a sharp peak of MPF activity. However, only PD-treated extracts subsequently exited from M-phase and entered interphase. In PD-treated extracts, p42 MAPK was not activated, and the transition to interphase was accompanied by the formation of decondensed nuclei and the disappearance of M-phase-specific phosphorylation of proteins. These results show that although entry into M-phase requires the activation of MPF, exit from M-phase even after cyclin destruction, is dependent on the inactivation of p42 MAPK.     

Cutting edge: differential signaling requirements for activation of assembled cyclin D3-cdk4 complexes in B-1 and B-2 lymphocyte subsets

B-1 lymphocytes represent a distinct B cell subset with unusual mitogenic responses. PMA alone promotes proliferation in B-1 cells, but not in splenic B-2 cells. Although cyclin D2-cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (cdk4) complexes mediate early retinoblastoma gene product (pRb) phosphorylation in B-1 cells, the transient nature of their accumulation cannot account for the continued increase in pRb phosphorylation, which is maximal at 24 h. We show herein that PMA promotes the accumulation of functional cyclin D3-cdk4 complexes in B-1 cells following loss of cyclin D2. PMA also induces accumulation of cyclin D3-cdk4 complexes in B-2 cells; however, these complexes do not phosphorylate pRb. Thus, PMA is sufficient to induce synthesis and assembly of cyclin D3-cdk4 complexes in B-1 and B-2 cells; however, PMA triggers cyclin D3-cdk4 activation only in B-1 cells. These results reveal a novel regulatory step that controls activation of cyclin D3-cdk4 complexes whose function segregates differentially in B cell subsets.     

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

Previously, we have shown that the addition of a constitutively-active mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase protein (MAPKK = MEK) to cycling Xenopus egg extracts activates the p42MAPK pathway, leading to a G2 or M-phase cell cycle arrest. The stage of the arrest depends on the timing of p42MAPK activation. If p42MAPK is activated prior to M-phase, or after exit from M-phase, the extract is arrested in G2. If p42MAPK is activated during entry into M-phase, the extract is arrested in M-phase. In this study, we show that the addition of recombinant Mos protein (which directly phosphorylates and activates MEK) to cycling egg extracts has the same effect as those described for MEK. The addition of Mos to the extract at the start of incubation leads to a G2 arrest with large interphase nuclei with intact nuclear envelopes. If Mos is added at later times, however, the activation of p42MAPK leads to an M-phase arrest with condensed chromosomes and mitotic arrays of microtubules. Moreover, the extent of M-phase specific phosphorylations is shown by the sustained presence of phosphoproteins that are detected by the monoclonal antibody MPM-2. Unexpectedly, in certain M-phase arrested extracts, histone H1 kinase activity levels reach a peak on entry into M-phase but then fall abruptly to interphase levels. When these extracts are analyzed by immunoblotting, Cyclin B2 is destroyed in those samples containing low maturation promoting factor activity (MPF, cyclin B/Cdc2), yet chromosomes remain condensed with associated mitotic arrays of microtubules and M-phase-specific phosphorylations are sustained. These results suggest that although MPF is required for entry into M-phase, once established, M-phase can be maintained by the p42MAPK pathway after the proteolysis of mitotic cyclins.     

Cyclin B Dissociation from CDK1 Precedes its Degradation Upon MPF Inactivation in Mitotic Extracts of Xenopus laevis Embryos

Cyclin B is a regulatory subunit of CDK1 within MPF complex. Degradation of cyclin B via ubiquitin-proteasome pathway seemed to be absolutely required for the M-phase exit. However, inhibition of the proteasome proteolytic activity upon the exit from the meiotic metaphase II-arrest in Xenopus cell-free extract revealed that the proteasome-dependent dissociation of cyclin B from CDK1 is sufficient to inactivate MPF without cyclin B degradation. In this study we analyse whether the same mechanism operates during the exit from mitotic M-phase. We show in Xenopus cell-free extract undergoing the first or the second embryonic mitosis that CDK1 oscillations are not affected by proteasome inhibition with MG132 or ALLN despite effective inhibition of cyclins B degradation. The majority of cyclins B1 and B2 surviving CDK1 inactivation is CDK-free and cyclin B2 becomes resistant to phosphatase ? dephosphorylation. The pool of cyclins B remaining after CDK1 inactivation in the presence of MG132 is mitotically inert, while exogenous or newly synthesised cyclin B activates CDK1. This suggests that cyclins B remain sequestered within the proteasome upon MPF inactivation in the presence of MG132. Comparison of the dynamics of the decline of total and CDK-bound pools of cyclins B1, B2 and B4 upon mitotic exit in absence of protein synthesis reveals that CDK-bound cyclins B diminish clearly faster. Our results thus show that cyclin B dissociation from CDK1 precedes cyclins B degradation upon CDK1 inactivation in mitotic embryo extracts and that proteasome proteolytic activity is dispensable for both activation and inactivation of CDK1 in such extracts.     

A link between MAP kinase and p34(cdc2)/cyclin B during oocyte maturation: p90(rsk) phosphorylates and inactivates the p34(cdc2) inhibitory kinase Myt1.

M-phase entry in eukaryotic cells is driven by activation of MPF, a regulatory factor composed of cyclin B and the protein kinase p34(cdc2). In G2-arrested Xenopus oocytes, there is a stock of p34(cdc2)/cyclin B complexes (pre-MPF) which is maintained in an inactive state by p34(cdc2) phosphorylation on Thr14 and Tyr15. This suggests an important role for the p34(cdc2) inhibitory kinase(s) such as Wee1 and Myt1 in regulating the G2-->M transition during oocyte maturation. MAP kinase (MAPK) activation is required for M-phase entry in Xenopus oocytes, but its precise contribution to the activation of pre-MPF is unknown. Here we show that the C-terminal regulatory domain of Myt1 specifically binds to p90(rsk), a protein kinase that can be phosphorylated and activated by MAPK. p90(rsk) in turn phosphorylates the C-terminus of Myt1 and down-regulates its inhibitory activity on p34(cdc2)/cyclin B in vitro. Consistent with these results, Myt1 becomes phosphorylated during oocyte maturation, and activation of the MAPK-p90(rsk) cascade can trigger some Myt1 phosphorylation prior to pre-MPF activation. We found that Myt1 preferentially associates with hyperphosphorylated p90(rsk), and complexes can be detected in immunoprecipitates from mature oocytes. Our results suggest that during oocyte maturation MAPK activates p90(rsk) and that p90(rsk) in turn down-regulates Myt1, leading to the activation of p34(cdc2)/cyclin B.     

Protein synthesis and mRNA storage in cattle oocytes maintained under meiotic block by roscovitine inhibition of MPF activity

Roscovitine, a specific inhibitor of MPF kinase activity, has been shown to block efficiently and reversibly the meiotic resumption of oocytes from different species, including cattle. In view to verify that oocytes maintain germinal vesicle like molecular activities under roscovitine treatment, we compared in the present study the M-phase Promoting Factor (MPF) and Mitogen Activated Protein (MAP) kinase activities; protein synthesis and phosphorylation patterns in oocytes and cumulus cells; and CDK1 and Cyclin B messengers storage under control culture and under roscovitine inhibition. We observed that roscovitine induced a full and reversible inhibition of MPF kinase activity and of the activating phosphorylation of both ERK1/2 MAPK. During in vivo maturation, there was a highly significant increase in the relative mRNA level of both cyclin B1 and CDK1 whereas during in vitro culture, the relative amount of CDK1 messenger was reduced. These messengers may be used as markers for the optimization of in vitro maturation treatment. Roscovitine reversibly prevented this drop in relative quantities of CDK1 messenger. Oocytes cultured in the presence of roscovitine maintained a GV like profile of protein synthesis except that two proteins of 48 and 64 kDa specific of matured oocytes also appeared under roscovitine treatment. However, roscovitine did not prevent most of the modifications of protein phosphorylation pattern observed during maturation. In conclusion, results of this study revealed that the use of roscovitine did not prevent all the events related to maturation of bovine oocytes.     

Tome-1, a trigger of mitotic entry,is degraded during G1 via the APC

Entry into mitosis requires the activation of cdk1/cyclin B, while mitotic exit is achieved when the same kinase activity decreases, as cyclin B is degraded. Cyclin B proteolysis is mediated by the anaphase promoting complex, or APC, an E3 ligase that is active at anaphase in mitosis through G1. We have identified a G1 substrate of the APC that we have termed Tome-1, for trigger of mitotic entry. Tome-1 is a cytosolic protein required for proper activation of cdk1/cyclin B and mitotic entry. Tome-1 associates with Skp-1 and is required for degradation of the cdk1 inhibitory tyrosine kinase wee1; Tome-1 therefore appears to be acting as part of an SCF-type E3 for wee1. Degradation of Tome-1 during G1 allows for wee 1 accumulation during interphase, thereby providing a critical link between the APC and SCF pathways in regulation of cdk1/cyclin B activity and thus mitotic entry and exit.     

Interplay between Cdc2 kinase and the c-Mos/MAPK pathway between metaphase I and metaphase II in Xenopus oocytes

Xenopus oocytes arrested in prophase I resume meiotic division in response to progesterone and arrest at metaphase II. Entry into meiosis I depends on the activation of Cdc2 kinase [M-phase promoting factor (MPF)]. To better understand the role of Cdc2, MPF activity was specifically inhibited by injection of the CDK inhibitor, Cip1. When Cip1 is injected at germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) time, Cdc25 and Plx1 are both dephosphorylated and Cdc2 is rephosphorylated on tyrosine. The autoamplification loop characterizing MPF is therefore not only required for MPF generation before GVBD, but also for its stability during the GVBD period. The ubiquitin ligase anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C), responsible for cyclin degradation, is also under the control of Cdc2; therefore, Cdc2 activity itself induces its own inactivation through cyclin degradation, allowing the exit from the first meiotic division. In contrast, cyclin accumulation, responsible for Cdc2 activity increase allowing entry into metaphase II, is independent of Cdc2. The c-Mos/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway remains active when Cdc2 activity is inhibited at GVBD time. This pathway could be responsible for the sustained cyclin neosynthesis. In contrast, during the metaphase II block, the c-Mos/MAPK pathway depends on Cdc2. Therefore, the metaphase II block depends on a dynamic interplay between MPF and CSF, the c-Mos/MAPK pathway stabilizing cyclin B, whereas in turn, MPF prevents c-Mos degradation.     

Cyclin D3 maintains growth-inhibitory activity of C/EBPalpha by stabilizing C/EBPalpha-cdk2 and C/EBPalpha-Brm complexes

C/EBPα arrests proliferation of young livers by inhibition of cdk2. In old mice, C/EBPα inhibits growth by repression of E2F-dependent promoters through the C/EBPα-Brm complex. In this paper, we show that cyclin D3-cdk4/cdk6 supports the ability of C/EBPα to inhibit liver proliferation in both age groups. Although cyclin D3-cdk4/cdk6 kinases are involved in the promotion of growth, they are expressed in terminally differentiated cells, suggesting that they have additional functions in these settings. We demonstrate that C/EBPα represents a target for phosphorylation by cyclin D3-cdk4/cdk6 complexes in differentiated liver cells and in differentiated adipocytes. Cyclin D3-cdk4/cdk6 specifically phosphorylate C/EBPα at Ser193 in vitro and in the liver and support growth-inhibitory C/EBPα-cdk2 and C/EBPα-Brm complexes. We found that cyclin D3 is increased in old livers and activates cdk4/cdk6, resulting in stabilization of the C/EBPα-Brm complex. Old livers fail to reduce the activity of cyclin D3-cdk4/cdk6 after partial hepatectomy, leading to high levels of C/EBPα-Brm complexes after partial hepatectomy, which correlate with weak proliferation. We examined the role of cyclin D3 in the stabilization of C/EBPα-cdk2 and C/EBPα-Brm by using 3T3-L1 differentiated cells. In these cells, cyclin D3 is increased during differentiation and phosphorylates C/EBPα at Ser193, leading to the formation of growth-inhibitory C/EBPα-cdk2 and C/EBPα-Brm complexes. The inhibition of cyclin D3 blocks the formation of these complexes. Thus, these studies provide a new function of cyclin D3, which is to support the growth-inhibitory activity of C/EBPα.     

Altered p27(Kip1) phosphorylation, localization, and function in human epithelial cells resistant to transforming growth factor beta-mediated G(1) arrest

p27(Kip1) is an important effector of G(1) arrest by transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta). Investigations in a human mammary epithelial cell (HMEC) model, including cells that are sensitive (184(S)) and resistant (184A1L5(R)) to G(1) arrest by TGF-beta, revealed aberrant p27 regulation in the resistant cells. Cyclin E1-cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (cdk2) and cyclin A-cdk2 activities were increased, and p27-associated kinase activity was detected in 184A1L5(R) cells. p27 from 184A1L5(R) cells was localized to both nucleus and cytoplasm, showed an altered profile of phosphoisoforms, and had a reduced ability to bind and inhibit cyclin E1-cdk2 in vitro when compared to p27 from the sensitive 184(S) cells. In proliferating 184A1L5(R) cells, more p27 was associated with cyclin D1-cdk4 complexes than in 184(S). While TGF-beta inhibited the formation of cyclin D1-cdk4-p27 complexes in 184(S) cells, it did not inhibit the assembly of cyclin D1-cdk4-p27 complexes in the resistant 184A1L5(R) cells. p27 phosphorylation changed during cell cycle progression, with cyclin E1-bound p27 in G(0) showing a different phosphorylation pattern from that of cyclin D1-bound p27 in mid-G(1). These data suggest a model in which TGF-beta modulates p27 phosphorylation from its cyclin D1-bound assembly phosphoform to an alternate form that binds tightly to inhibit cyclin E1-cdk2. Altered phosphorylation of p27 in the resistant 184A1L5(R) cells may favor the binding of p27 to cyclin D1-cdk4 and prevent its accumulation in cyclin E1-cdk2 in response to TGF-beta.     

Activation of MPF at meiosis reinitiation in starfish oocytes.

Although maturation or M-phase-promoting factor (MPF) was originally identified as a cytoplasmic activity responsible for induction of maturation or meiosis reinitiation in oocytes, MPF is now thought to be the universal trigger of G2/M-phase transition in all eukaryotic cells, and its activity is ascribed to cyclin B. Cdc2 kinase. Here, the activation process of cyclin B. Cdc2 at meiosis reinitiation in starfish oocytes is compared with that at G2/M-phase transition in mitotic somatic cells. Based on this comparison, the role of cyclin B. Cdc2 in the original cytoplasmic MPF activity is reexamined.     

Developmental changes in cyclin B1 and cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (CDK1) levels in the different populations of spermatogenic cells of the post-natal rat testis

Spermatogenesis is a highly ordered process which requires mitotic and meiotic divisions. In this work, we studied the relative changes in the levels of the two components of the M-phase promoting factor (MPF): the regulatory subunit cyclin B1 (CycB1) and its catalytic subunit cdk1, in spermatogenic cells of rats between 16 and 90 days of life. A multivariate flow cytometry analysis of forward scatter (FSC), side scatter (SSC) and DNA content was used to identify six populations of rat germ cells: spermatogonia with preleptotene spermatocytes, young pachytene spermatocytes, middle to late pachytene spermatocytes, secondary spermatocytes with doublets of round spermatids, round spermatids, and elongated spermatids. For any population studied no significant difference in the relative cellular content of CycB1 or cdk1 proteins between animals of different ages was observed. By contrast, CycB1 and cdk1 levels were different between the different populations of germ cells. CycB1 and cdk1 were rather high in young pachytene spermatocytes and culminated in late spermatocytes, i.e. just before the first meiotic division. The relative levels of the two proteins remained high in secondary spermatocytes then decreased in round spermatids at the exit of meiosis. Similar results were obtained by Western-blot analysis of total proteins obtained from lysates of elutriated fractions of spermatocytes and spermatids. MPF activity was assessed in lysates of germ cells from 32-day-old rats or adult animals using p13suc1 agarose and histone H1 as an exogenous substrate. H1 kinase activity was higher in pachytene spermatocytes than in round spermatid fractions from both adult and young rats. These results indicate that the meiotic G2/M transition is associated to high levels of CycB1 and cdk1 leading to high MPF activity irrespective of the age of the animals.     

Inactivation of M-phase promoting factor at exit from first embryonic mitosis in the rat is independent of cyclin B1 degradation

Exit from M-phase and completion of cell division requires inactivation of M-phase promoting factor (MPF), a heterodimer composed of the regulatory cyclin B1 and the catalytic p34cdc2 kinase. Inactivation of MPF is associated with cyclin B1 degradation that is brought about by the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. Our study examined the role of the proteasome in the first mitosis of rat embryos and its participation in the regulation of cyclin B1 degradation and MPF inactivation. We show that in the early zygote the proteasome is evenly distributed in the ooplasm and the nucleus, whereas during mitosis it accumulates on the spindle apparatus. We further demonstrate that inhibition of proteasomal catalytic activity prevents 1-cell embryos from undergoing mitosis. This mitotic arrest is associated with the presence of relatively high amounts of cyclin B1, which unexpectedly does not result in elevated MPF activity. Our findings strongly imply that completion of the first embryonic division depends on proteasomal degradation and that cyclin B1 is included among its target proteins. They also provide the first evidence that MPF inactivation at this stage of development is not solely dependent upon cyclin B1 degradation and is insufficient to allow the formation of the 2-cell embryo.     

MPF is activated in growing immature Xenopus oocytes in the absence of detectable tyrosine dephosphorylation of P34cdc2.

Tyrosine-phosphorylated p34cdc2 and cyclin B2 are present and physically associated in small growing stage IV oocytes (800 microns in diameter) of Xenopus laevis. Microinjection of M-phase promoting factor (MPF) into stage IV oocytes induces germinal vesicle breakdown and the activation of the kinase activity of the p34cdc2/cyclin B2 complex measured on p13suc1 beads. During the in vivo activation of MPF in stage IV oocytes, p34cdc2 tyrosine dephosphorylation is not detectable, in contrast to stage VI oocytes. Addition of cycloheximide in MPF-injected stage IV oocytes induces neither the inhibition of histone H1 kinase activity nor the cyclin B2 degradation. Therefore, the activation mechanism of histone H1 kinase in stage IV oocytes does not require detectable tyrosine dephosphorylation of p34cdc2. It is suggested rather that the tyrosine phosphorylation of p34cdc2 plays a role in inhibiting cyclin B2 degradation.     

Analysis of cyclin D3-cdk4 complexes in fibroblasts expressing and lacking p27(kip1) and p21(cip1)

Our studies examined the effects of p27(kip1) and p21(cip1) on the assembly and activity of cyclin D3-cdk4 complexes and determined the composition of the cyclin D3 pool in cells containing and lacking these cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors. We found that catalytically active cyclin D3-cdk4 complexes were present in fibroblasts derived from p27(kip1)-p21(cip1)-null mice and that immunodepletion of extracts of wild-type cells with antibody to p27(kip1) and/or p21(cip1) removed cyclin D3 protein but not cyclin D3-associated activity. Similar results were observed in experiments assaying cyclin D1-cdk4 activity. Data obtained using mixed cell extracts demonstrated that p27(kip1) interacted with cyclin D3-cdk4 complexes in vitro and that this interaction was paralleled by a loss of cyclin D3-cdk4 activity. In p27(kip1)-p21(cip1)-deficient cells, the cyclin D3 pool consisted primarily of cyclin D3 monomers, whereas in wild-type cells, the majority of cyclin D3 molecules were complexed to cdk4 and either p27(kip1) or p21(cip1) or were monomeric. We conclude that neither p27(kip1) nor p21(cip1) is required for the formation of cyclin D3-cdk4 complexes and that cyclin D3-cdk4 complexes containing p27(kip1) or p21(cip1) are inactive. We suggest that only a minor portion of the total cyclin D3 pool accounts for all of the cyclin D3-cdk4 activity in the cell regardless of whether the cell contains p27(kip1) and p21(cip1).