Translational Control of the Embryonic Cell Cycle

• Published in: Cell Vol. 109; no. 4; pp. 473 - 483
• Main Authors: Groisman, Irina, Jung, Mi-Young, Sarkissian, Madathia, Cao, Quiping, Richter, Joel D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 17-05-2002
• Subjects: Animals; Aurora Kinases; Cell Cycle - genetics; Cell Cycle Proteins - genetics; Cell Cycle Proteins - metabolism; Cyclin B - genetics; Cyclin B - metabolism; Cyclin B1; Cytoplasm - genetics; Cytoplasm - metabolism; Embryo, Nonmammalian - cytology; Embryo, Nonmammalian - embryology; Embryo, Nonmammalian - metabolism; Female; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental - genetics; Mammals - embryology; Mammals - metabolism; Mitosis - genetics; mRNA Cleavage and Polyadenylation Factors; Oocytes - cytology; Oocytes - metabolism; Polyadenylation - genetics; Protein Biosynthesis - genetics; Protein-Serine-Threonine Kinases - genetics; Protein-Serine-Threonine Kinases - metabolism; RNA, Messenger - genetics; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; RNA-Binding Proteins - genetics; RNA-Binding Proteins - metabolism; Transcription Factors - genetics; Transcription Factors - metabolism; Tumor Cells, Cultured; Xenopus laevis; Xenopus Proteins
• ISSN: 0092-8674; 1097-4172
• DOI: 10.1016/S0092-8674(02)00733-X

The synthesis and destruction of cyclin B drives mitosis in eukaryotic cells. Cell cycle progression is also regulated at the level of cyclin B translation. In cycling extracts from
Xenopus embryos, progression into M phase requires the polyadenylation-induced translation of cyclin B1 mRNA. Polyadenylation is mediated by the phosphorylation of CPEB by Aurora, a kinase whose activity oscillates with the cell cycle. Exit from M phase seems to require deadenylation and subsequent translational silencing of cyclin B1 mRNA by Maskin, a CPEB and eIF4E binding factor, whose expression is cell cycle regulated. These observations suggest that regulated cyclin B1 mRNA translation is essential for the embryonic cell cycle. Mammalian cells also display a cell cycle-dependent cytoplasmic polyadenylation, suggesting that translational control by polyadenylation might be a general feature of mitosis in animal cells.