title: Phosphorylation-dependent regulation of skeletogenesis in sea urchin micromere-derived cells and embryos.
abstract: Sea urchin embryo micromeres when isolated and cultured in vitro differentiate to produce spicules. Although several authors have used this model, almost nothing is known about the signaling pathways responsible for initiating skeletogenesis. In order to investigate the potential involvement of phosphorylation events in spiculogenesis, the effect of inhibitors of protein kinases and phosphatases on skeleton formation was studied. Results obtained using both cultured micromeres and embryos revealed that protein tyrosine kinase and phosphatase inhibitors blocked skeleton formation, but not serine/threonine phosphatase inhibitors. The inhibitors showed a dose-dependent effect and when removed from micromere or embryo culture, spicule formation resumed. Inhibition of tyrosine phosphatases resulted in an increase in the tyrosine phosphorylation level of two major proteins and a modest decrease in the expression of the mRNA coding for type I fibrillar collagen. These findings strongly suggest that tyrosine phosphorylation and dephosphorylation is required for micromere differentiation and for normal skeletogenesis during sea urchin embryo development.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Biologia dello Sviluppo, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Palermo, Italy. cervello@ibs.pa.cnr.it
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cervello
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sanfilippo
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Isola
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Virruso
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Scalia
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cammarata
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gambino
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000196:embryology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003094:Collagen / Q000378:metabolism; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000201:enzymology*; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D019833:Genistein / Q000494:pharmacology; D009024:Morphogenesis; D019319:Okadaic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D010766:Phosphorylation; D019000:Phosphotyrosine / Q000032:analysis; D017027:Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D012617:Sea Urchins; D014638:Vanadates / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D019319:Okadaic Acid; D019000:Phosphotyrosine; D014638:Vanadates; D003094:Collagen; D019833:Genistein; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D017027:Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases