Analysis of the early embryonic cell cycles of Xenopus;: regulation of cell cycle length by Xe-wee1 and Mos

In Xenopus, cdc2 tyrosine phosphorylation is detected in the first 60-75 minute cell cycle but not in the next eleven cell cycles (cycles 2-12) which are only 30 minutes long, Here we report that the wee1/cdc25 ratio increases before the first mitotic interphase, We show that the Xe-wee1 protein is absent in stage VI oocytes and is expressed from meiosis II until gastrulation, A dominant negative form of Xe-wee1 (KM wee1) reduced the level cdc2 tyrosine phosphorylation and length of the first cycle, However, the ratio of wee1/cdc25 did not decrease after the first cycle and therefore did not explain the lack of cdc2 tyrosine phosphorylation in, nor the rapidity of, cycles 2-12, Furthermore, there was no evidence for a wee1/myt1 inhibitor in cycles 2-12, We examined the role of Mos in the first cycle because it is present during the first 20 minutes of this cycle. We arrested the rapid embryonic cell cycle (cycle 2 or 3) with Mos and restarted the cell cycle with calcium ionophore; the 30 minute cycle was converted into a 60 minute cycle, with cdc2 tyrosine phosphorylation, In addition, the injection of a non-degradable Mos (MBP-Mos) into the first cycle resulted in a dramatic elongation of this cycle (to 140 minutes), MBP-Mos did not delay DNA replication or the translation of cyclins A or B; it did, however, result in the marked accumulation of tyrosine phosphorylated cdc2, Thus, while the wee1/cdc25 ratio changes during development, these changes may not be responsible for the variety of cell cycles observed during early Xenopus embryogenesis, Our experiments indicate that Mos/MAPK can also contribute to cell cycle length.