title: Xenopus oocyte maturation: new lessons from a good egg.
abstract: Fully grown Xenopus oocytes can remain in their immature state essentially indefinitely, or, in response to the steroid hormone progesterone, can be induced to develop into fertilizable eggs. This process is termed oocyte maturation. Oocyte maturation is initiated by a novel plasma membrane steroid hormone receptor. Progesterone brings about inhibition of adenylate cyclase and activation of the Mos/MEK1/p42 MAP kinase cascade, which ultimately brings about the activation of the universal M phase trigger Cdc2/cyclin B. Oocyte maturation provides an interesting example of how signaling cascades entrain the cell cycle clock to environmental changes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305-5332, USA. ferrell@vmgm.stanford.edu
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Ferrell
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016203:CDC2 Protein Kinase / Q000378:metabolism; D017868:Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D016213:Cyclins / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D009865:Oocytes / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D009866:Oogenesis; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014981:Xenopus / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016213:Cyclins; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; D017868:Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases; D016203:CDC2 Protein Kinase; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases