Post-transcriptional regulation by insulin of Xenopus ribosomal protein S6 kinase

The activation of Xenopus oocyte ribosomal protein S6 kinase during oocyte maturation was investigated. Insulin treatment caused a rapid three-fold activation of S6 kinase that returned to near basal levels by 2 h postinsulin. This was followed by a later fivefold increase from 2 to 5 h with insulin, culminating with germinal vesicle breakdown. Pretreatment of oocytes with multiple protein synthesis inhibitors increased the level of basal activity, but did not greatly alter the time course of early activation of S6 kinase by insulin. In contrast, the later increase in S6 kinase activity was completely inhibited by pretreatment with cycloheximide. However, near maximal increases in S6 kinase activity occurred following injection of maturation-promoting factor, even in the presence of multiple protein synthesis inhibitors. Brief exposure to cycloheximide after 30 min or more of insulin stimulation increased the magnitude of insulin-stimulated activity without changing the overall pattern of activity increase. These results suggest that a rapidly turning-over inhibitor of S6 kinase exists, and the activation of S6 kinase by insulin occurs by protein synthesis-dependent and -independent mechanisms.