Development 1999 Feb 01;1263:567-76. doi: 10.1242/dev.126.3.567.

A novel role for glycogen synthase kinase-3 in Xenopus development: maintenance of oocyte cell cycle arrest by a beta-catenin-independent mechanism.

???displayArticle.abstract???
We have examined the expression of glycogen synthase kinase-3beta in oocytes and early embryos of Xenopus and found that the protein is developmentally regulated. In resting oocytes, GSK-3beta is active and it is inactivated on maturation in response to progesterone. GSK-3beta inactivation is necessary and rate limiting for the cell cycle response to this hormone and the subsequent accumulation of beta-catenin. Overexpression of a dominant negative form of the kinase accelerates maturation, as does inactivation by expression of Xenopus Dishevelled or microinjection of an inactivating antibody. Cell cycle inhibition by GSK-3beta is not mediated by the level of beta-catenin or by a direct effect on either the MAP kinase pathway or translation of mos and cyclin B1. These data indicate a novel role for GSK-3beta in Xenopus development: in addition to controlling specification of the dorsoventral axis in embryos, it mediates cell cycle arrest in oocytes.

???displayArticle.pubmedLink??? 9876185
???displayArticle.link??? Development


Species referenced: Xenopus laevis
Genes referenced: dvl2 gys1 mos