Okadaic acid--a valuable new tool for the study of signal transduction and cell cycle regulation?
Okadaic acid is beginning to find its way into laboratories that study cellular control of gene expression and proliferation. By virtue of its specific inhibitory effects on certain protein phosphatases it seems to be a powerful tool for the analysis of regulatory phosphorylation-dephosphorylation events. Here, some of the important new findings with the use of this drug are summarized, and a few potential drawbacks of its application discussed.
Schönthal
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Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla 92093-0636.
D000818:Animals; D002273:Carcinogens / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D004988:Ethers, Cyclic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016762:Genes, fos / Q000187:drug effects; D019319:Okadaic Acid; D010749:Phosphoprotein Phosphatases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000187:drug effects; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate / Q000494:pharmacology; D014170:Transformation, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects
D002273:Carcinogens; D004988:Ethers, Cyclic; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D019319:Okadaic Acid; D010749:Phosphoprotein Phosphatases; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate