XCS-1, a maternally expressed gene product involved in regulating mitosis in Xenopus.
The regulation of the cell cycle during early development is an important and complex biological process. We have cloned a cDNA, XCS-1, that may play an important role in regulating mitosis during early embryogenesis in Xenopus laevis. XCS-1 is a maternally expressed gene product that is the Xenopus homologue of the human cleavage signal protein (CS-1). XCS-1 transcripts were detected in oocytes with the titer decreasing just prior to the MBT. During development the XCS-1 protein was detected on the membrane and in the nucleus of blastomeres. It was also detected on the mitotic spindle in mitotic cells and on the centrosomes in interphase cells. Overexpression of myc-XCS-1 in Xenopus embryos resulted in abnormal mitoses with increased numbers of centrosomes, multipolar spindles, and abnormal distribution of chromosomes. Also, we observed incomplete cytokinesis resulting in multiple nuclei residing in the same cytoplasm with the daughter nuclei in different phases of the cell cycle. The phenotype depended on the presence of the N terminus of XCS-1 (aa 1-73) and a consensus NIMA kinase phosphorylation site (aa159-167). Mutations in this site affected the ability of the overexpressed XCS-1 protein to produce the phenotype. These results suggest that XCS-1 is a maternal factor playing an important role in the regulation of the cell cycle during early embryogenesis and that its function depends on its state of phosphorylation.
Nakamura
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Department of Molecular Genetics and Department of Clinical Investigation, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030, USA. lde@notes.mdacc.tmc.edu
Wu
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Kuang
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Larabell
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Etkin
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D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D002457:Cell Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D018385:Centrosome / Q000378:metabolism; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000502:physiology*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007425:Intracellular Membranes / Q000378:metabolism; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D008938:Mitosis / Q000502:physiology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D000072380:NIMA-Related Kinase 1; D000072379:NIMA-Related Kinases; D010641:Phenotype; D010766:Phosphorylation; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D012737:Sex Factors; D008941:Spindle Apparatus / Q000378:metabolism; D029867:Xenopus Proteins; D014982:Xenopus laevis / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
D000954:Antigens, Surface; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D002457:Cell Extracts; D018076:DNA, Complementary; C484087:ITPRID2 protein, Xenopus; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D029867:Xenopus Proteins; C000606914:NEK1 protein, human; D000072380:NIMA-Related Kinase 1; D000072379:NIMA-Related Kinases; C442331:NIMA-related kinase 6; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases