The four cdc25 genes from the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans

Depletion of cdc-25.3, a Caenorhabditis elegans orthologue of cdc25, increases physiological germline apoptosis

In Caenorhabditis elegans hermaphrodites, physiological germline apoptosis is higher in cdc-25.3 mutants than in wild-type. The elevated germline apoptosis in cdc-25.3 mutants seems to be induced by accumulation of double-stranded DNA breaks (DSBs). Both DNA damage and synapsis checkpoint genes are required to increase the germline apoptosis. Notably, the number of germ cells that lose P-granule components, PGL-1 and PGL-3, increase in cdc-25.3 mutants, and the increase in germline apoptosis requires the activity of SIR-2.1, a Sirtuin orthologue. These results suggest that elevation of germline apoptosis in cdc-25.3 mutants is induced by accumulation of DSBs, leading to a loss of PGL-1 and PGL-3 in germ cells, which promotes cytoplasmic translocation of SIR-2.1, and finally activates the core apoptotic machinery.

cdc-25.2, a Caenorhabditis elegans ortholog of cdc25, is required for male tail morphogenesis

Cell division cycle 25 (Cdc25) is an evolutionarily conserved phosphatase that promotes cell cycle progression by activating cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdks) which are inactivated by Wee1/Myt1 kinases. It was previously reported that cdc-25.2 promotes oocyte maturation and intestinal cell divisions in Caenorhabditis elegans hermaphrodites. Here, we report a novel function of cdc-25.2 in male tail development which was significantly deformed by cdc-25.2 RNAi depletion and in cdc-25.2 mutant males. The deformation was also observed after RNAi depletion of other cell cycle regulators, cdk-1, cyb-3, cyd-1, and cyl-1. Furthermore, wee-1.3 counteracted cdc-25.2 in male tail development as observed in oocyte maturation and intestine development. The number of cells in ray precursor cell lineages was significantly reduced in cdc-25.2 depleted males. These results indicate that CDC-25.2 is essential for cell divisions in ray precursor cell lineages for proper male tail development.

CDC-25.2, a C. elegans ortholog of cdc25, is essential for the progression of intestinal divisions

Intestinal divisions in Caenorhabditis elegans take place in 3 stages: (1) cell divisions during embryogenesis, (2) binucleations at the L1 stage, and (3) endoreduplications at the end of each larval stage. Here, we report that CDC-25.2, a C. elegans ortholog of Cdc25, is required for these specialized division cycles between the 16E cell stage and the onset of endoreduplication. Results of our genetic analyses suggest that CDC-25.2 regulates intestinal cell divisions and binucleations by counteracting WEE-1.3 and by activating the CDK-1/CYB-1 complex. CDC-25.2 activity is then repressed by LIN-23 E3 ubiquitin ligase before the onset of intestinal endoreduplication, and this repression is maintained by LIN-35, the C. elegans ortholog of Retinoblastoma (Rb). These findings indicate that timely regulation of CDC-25.2 activity is essential for the progression of specialized division cycles and development of the C. elegans intestine.

cdc-25.4, a Caenorhabditis elegans Ortholog of cdc25, Is Required for Male Mating Behavior

Cell division cycle 25 (cdc25) is an evolutionarily conserved phosphatase that promotes cell cycle progression. Among the four cdc25 orthologs in Caenorhabditis elegans, we found that cdc-25.4 mutant males failed to produce outcrossed progeny. This was not caused by defects in sperm development, but by defects in male mating behavior. The cdc-25.4 mutant males showed various defects during male mating, including contact response, backing, turning, and vulva location. Aberrant turning behavior was the most prominent defect in the cdc-25.4 mutant males. We also found that cdc-25.4 is expressed in many neuronal cells throughout development. The turning defect in cdc-25.4 mutant males was recovered by cdc-25.4 transgenic expression in neuronal cells, suggesting that cdc-25.4 functions in neurons for male mating. However, the neuronal morphology of cdc-25.4 mutant males appeared to be normal, as examined with several neuronal markers. Also, RNAi depletion of wee-1.3, a C. elegans ortholog of Wee1/Myt1 kinase, failed to suppress the mating defects of cdc-25.4 mutant males. These findings suggest that, for successful male mating, cdc-25.4 does not target cell cycles that are required for neuronal differentiation and development. Rather, cdc-25.4 likely regulates noncanonical substrates in neuronal cells.

LIN-23, an E3 Ubiquitin Ligase Component, Is Required for the Repression of CDC-25.2 Activity during Intestinal Development in Caenorhabditis elegans

Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) utilizes two different cell-cycle modes, binucleations during the L1 larval stage and endoreduplications at four larval moltings, for its postembryonic intestinal development. Previous genetic studies indicated that CDC-25.2 is specifically required for binucleations at the L1 larval stage and is repressed before endoreduplications. Furthermore, LIN-23, the C. elegans β-TrCP ortholog, appears to function as a repressor of CDC-25.2 to prevent excess intestinal divisions. We previously reported that intestinal hyperplasia in lin-23(e1883) mutants was effectively suppressed by the RNAi depletion of cdc-25.2. Nevertheless, LIN-23 targeting CDC-25.2 for ubiquitination as a component of E3 ubiquitin ligase has not yet been tested. In this study, LIN-23 is shown to be the major E3 ubiquitin ligase component, recognizing CDC-25.2 to repress their activities for proper transition of cell-cycle modes during the C. elegans postembryonic intestinal development. In addition, for the first time that LIN-23 physically interacts with both CDC-25.1 and CDC-25.2 and facilitates ubiquitination for timely regulation of their activities during the intestinal development.

Rapid and Efficient Identification of Caenorhabditis elegans Legacy Mutations Using Hawaiian SNP-Based Mapping and Whole-Genome Sequencing

The production of viable embryos requires the coordination of many cellular processes, including protein synthesis, cytoskeletal reorganization, establishment of polarity, cell migration, cell division, and in Caenorhabditis elegans, eggshell formation. Defects in any of these processes can lead to embryonic lethality. We examined six temperature-sensitive mutants as well as one nonconditional mutant that were previously identified in genetic screens as either embryonic lethal (maternal-effect or zygotic lethal) or eggshell defective. The responsible molecular lesion for each had never been determined. After confirmation of temperature sensitivity and lethality, we performed whole-genome sequencing using a single-nucleotide polymorphism mapping strategy to pinpoint the molecular lesions. Gene candidates were confirmed by RNA interference phenocopy and/or complementation tests and one mutant was further validated by CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palidromic Repeats)/Cas9 gene editing. This approach identified new alleles of several genes that had only been previously studied by RNA interference depletion. Our identification of temperature-sensitive alleles for all of these essential genes provides an extremely useful tool for further investigation for the C. elegans community, such as the ability to address mutant phenotypes at various developmental stages and the ability to carry out suppressor/enhancer screens to identify other genes that function in a specific cellular process.

Cell cycle and cell fate in the developing nervous system: the role of CDC25B phosphatase

Deciphering the core machinery of the cell cycle and cell division has been primarily the focus of cell biologists, while developmental biologists have identified the signaling pathways and transcriptional programs controlling cell fate choices. As a result, until recently, the interplay between these two fundamental aspects of biology have remained largely unexplored. Increasing data show that the cell cycle and regulators of the core cell cycle machinery are important players in cell fate decisions during neurogenesis. Here, we summarize recent data describing how cell cycle dynamics affect the switch between proliferation and differentiation, with an emphasis on the roles played by the cell cycle regulators, the CDC25 phosphatases.

Carboxy-terminal phosphorylation sites in Cdc25 contribute to enforcement of the DNA damage and replication checkpoints in fission yeast

In fission yeast and vertebrate cells, Cdc25 phosphatase is the target of checkpoint-mediated response to DNA replication blocks, DNA damage, and extracellular stress. As such, it is a key regulator of cell cycle progress and genomic stability. In fission yeast, phosphorylation of Cdc25 by the checkpoint kinases Cds1 and Chk1 and also Srk1 during stress creates a binding site for the 14-3-3 homolog Rad24; the complex is then exported from the nucleus. Cdc25 contains 12 potential serine/threonine phosphorylation sites that are phosphorylated in vitro by Cds1; 9 reside in the amino terminal half of the protein with the remaining sites are located in the extreme C-terminus. We have previously shown that deletion of the nine amino terminal sites results in degradation of the mutant protein while the checkpoint is enforced by the Mik1 kinase acting on Cdc2 tyrosine-15. Here, we examine the influence of the three C-terminal sites on the negative regulation of Cdc25. These sites are conserved in vertebrates and have been shown to be phosphorylated following DNA damage and replication blocks. We show that these three sites have a role in the negative regulation of Cdc25 following replication arrest, but perhaps more importantly they appear to particularly contribute to regulating the duration, and thus the effectiveness of the arrested state.

CDC-25.1 controls the rate of germline mitotic cell cycle by counteracting WEE-1.3 and by positively regulating CDK-1 in Caenorhabditis elegans

In Caenorhabditis elegans, cdc-25.1 loss-of-function mutants display a lack of germline proliferation. We found that the proliferation defect of cdc-25.1 mutants was suppressed by wee-1.3 RNAi. Further, among the seven cdk and seven cyclin homologs examined, cdk-1 and cyb-3 RNAi treatment caused the most severe germline proliferation defects in an rrf-1 mutant background, which were similar to those of the cdc-25.1 mutants. In addition, while RNAi of cyd-1 and cye-1 caused significant germline proliferation defects, RNAi of cdk-2 and cdk-4 did not. Compared with the number of germ nuclei in wee-1.3(RNAi) worms, the number in wee-1.3(RNAi);cdk-1(RNAi) and wee-1.3(RNAi);cyb-3(RNAi) worms further decreased to the level of cdk-1(RNAi) and cyb-3(RNAi) worms, respectively, indicating that cdk-1 and cyb-3 are epistatic and function downstream of cdc-25.1 and wee-1.3 in the control of the cell cycle. BrdU labeling of adult worms showed that, while 100% of the wild-type germ nuclei in the mitotic region incorporated BrdU when labeled for more than 12 h at 20°C, a small fraction of the cdc-25.1 mutant germ nuclei failed to incorporate BrdU even when labeled for 68 h. These results indicate that CDC-25.1 is required for maintaining proper rate of germline mitotic cell cycle. We propose that CDC-25.1 regulates the rate of germline mitotic cell cycle by counteracting WEE-1.3 and by positively controlling CDK-1, which forms a complex primarily with CYB-3, but also possibly with CYD-1 and CYE-1.

cdc-25.2, a C. elegans ortholog of cdc25, is required to promote oocyte maturation

Cdc25 is an evolutionarily conserved protein phosphatase that promotes progression through the cell cycle. Some metazoans have multiple isoforms of Cdc25, which have distinct functions and different expression patterns during development. C. elegans has four cdc-25 genes. cdc-25.1 is required for germline mitotic proliferation. To determine if the other members of the cdc-25 family also contribute to regulation of cell division in the germ line, we examined phenotypes of loss-of-function mutants of the other cdc-25 family genes. We found that cdc-25.2 is also essential for germline development. cdc-25.2 homozygous mutant hermaphrodites exhibited sterility as a result of defects in oogenesis: mutant oocytes were arrested as endomitotic oocytes that were not fertilized successfully. Spermatogenesis and male germline development were not affected. Through genetic interaction studies, we found that CDC-25.2 functions upstream of maturation-promoting factor containing CDK-1 and CYB-3 to promote oocyte maturation by counteracting function of WEE-1.3. We propose that cdc-25 family members function as distinct but related cell cycle regulators to control diverse cell cycles in C. elegans germline development.

Identification of cdc25 gene in pinewood nematode, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, and its function in reproduction

The cdc25 gene, which is highly conserved in many eukaryotes, encodes a phosphatase that plays essential roles in cell cycle regulation. We identified a cdc25 ortholog in the pinewood nematode, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus. The B. xylophilus ortholog (Bx-cdc25) was found to be highly similar to Caenorhabditis elegans cdc-25.2 in sequence as well as in gene structure, both having long intron 1. The Bx-cdc25 gene was determined to be composed of seven exons and six introns in a 2,580 bp region, and was shown to encode 360 amino acids of a protein containing a highly-conserved phosphatase domain. Bx-cdc25 mRNA was hardly detectable throughout the juvenile stages but was highly expressed in eggs and in both female and male adults. Functional conservation during germline development between C. elegans cdc25 and Bx-cdc25 was revealed by Bx-cdc25 RNA interference in C. elegans.

A mutation of cdc-25.1 causes defects in germ cells but not in somatic tissues in C. elegans

By screening C. elegans mutants for severe defects in germline proliferation, we isolated a new loss-of-function allele of cdc-25.1, bn115. bn115 and another previously identified loss-of-function allele nr2036 do not exhibit noticeable cell division defects in the somatic tissues but have reduced numbers of germ cells and are sterile, indicating that cdc-25.1 functions predominantly in the germ line during postembryonic development, and that cdc-25.1 activity is probably not required in somatic lineages during larval development. We analyzed cell division of germ cells and somatic tissues in bn115 homozygotes with germline-specific anti-PGL-1 immunofluorescence and GFP transgenes that express in intestinal cells, in distal tip cells, and in gonadal sheath cells, respectively. We also analyzed the expression pattern of cdc-25.1 with conventional and quantitative RT-PCR. In the presence of three other family members of cdc-25 in C. elegans defects are observed only in the germ line but not in the somatic tissues in cdc-25.1 single mutants, and cdc-25.1 is expressed predominantly, if not exclusively, in the germ line during postembryonic stages. Our findings indicate that the function of cdc-25.1 is unique in the germ line but likely redundant with other members in the soma.

Inhibition of overexpressed CDC-25.1 phosphatase activity by flavone in Caenorhabditis elegans

We previously reported that flavone induces embryonic lethality in Caenorhabditis elegans, which appeared to be the result of cell cycle arrest during early embryogenesis. To test this possibility, here we examined whether flavone inhibits the activity of a key cell cycle regulator, CDC-25.1 in C. elegans. A gain-of-function cdc-25.1 mutant, rr31, which exhibits extra cell divisions in intestinal cells, was used to test the inhibitory effects of flavone on CDC-25 activity. Flavone inhibited the extra cell divisions of intestinal cells in rr31, and modifications of flavone reduced the inhibitory effects. The inhibitory effects of flavone on CDC-25.1 were partly, if not completely, due to transcriptional repression.

Suppressors of the cdc-25.1(gf)-associated intestinal hyperplasia reveal important maternal roles for prp-8 and a subset of splicing factors in C. elegans

The maternal contribution of gene products enables embryos to initiate their developmental program in the absence of zygotic gene expression. In Caenorhabditis elegans, maternal CDC-25.1 levels are tightly regulated to promote early cell divisions, while stabilization of this phosphatase by gain-of-function mutations gives rise to intestinal-specific hyperplasia. To identify regulators of CDC-25.1 levels and/or function, we performed a modifier screen of the cdc-25.1(gf)-dependent hyperplasia. One of the isolated suppressor mutants possesses a donor splice site mutation in prp-8, a key splicing factor of the U5-specific snRNP. prp-8(rr40) produces aberrant prp-8 splice variants that generate C-terminal truncations at the expense of wild-type prp-8. Levels of maternal transcripts are reduced, including cdc-25.1, while zygotic transcripts appear unperturbed, suggesting a germ-line-specific role for this splicing factor in regulating the splicing, and consequently, the steady-state levels of maternal transcripts. Using a novel feeding RNAi strategy we found that only a subset of splicing factors suppress cdc-25.1(gf), suggesting that they too may play specific roles in germ-line spliceosome function. In humans, mutations in the corresponding hPrp8 C-terminal domain result in retinitis pigmentosa, a retinal-specific disorder. Intriguingly, despite affecting the general splicing apparatus, both human and C. elegans show tissue-specific defects resulting from mutations in this key splicing component. Our findings suggest that in addition to its important regulatory function in the C. elegans germ line, prp-8(rr40) may provide further insight into the etiology of this splicing-associated human disorder.

In vivo roles of CDC25 phosphatases: biological insight into the anti-cancer therapeutic targets

CDC25 phosphatases are not only rate-limiting activators of cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) but also important targets of the CHK1/CHK2-mediated checkpoint pathway. Each isoform of the mammalian CDC25 family seems to exert unique biological functions. CDC25A is a critical regulator for both G1-S and G2-M transitions and essential for embryonic cell proliferation after the blastocyst stage. CDC25B is dispensable for embryogenesis but required for meiotic progression of oocytes in a manner analogous to Drosophila Twine or C. elegans cdc-25.1. Moreover, CDC25A and CDC25B appear to regulate different events or stages of mitosis. CDC25B may mediate the activation of CDK1/Cyclin B at the centrosome during prophase, while CDC25A may be required for the subsequent full activation of nuclear CDK1/Cyclin B. CDC25C is dispensable for both mitotic and meiotic divisions, although it is highly regulated during the processes. Excessive levels of CDC25A and CDC25B are often observed in various human cancer tissues. Deregulated expression of these phosphatases allows cells to overcome DNA damage-induced checkpoint, leading to genomic instability. Studies using mouse models demonstrated that deregulated expression of CDC25A significantly promotes RAS- or NEU-induced mammary tumor development with chromosomal aberrations, whereas decreased CDC25A expression in heterozygous knockout mice delays tumorigenesis. These biological properties of CDC25 phosphatases provide significant insight into the pathobiology of cancer and scientific foundation for anti-CDC25 therapeutic intervention.

PAR proteins direct asymmetry of the cell cycle regulators Polo-like kinase and Cdc25

Cell cycle lengths vary widely among different cells within an animal, yet mechanisms of cell cycle length regulation are poorly understood. In the Caenorhabditis elegans embryo, the first cell division produces two cells with different cell cycle lengths, which are dependent on the conserved partitioning-defective (PAR) polarity proteins. We show that two key cell cycle regulators, the Polo-like kinase PLK-1 and the cyclin-dependent kinase phosphatase CDC-25.1, are asymmetrically distributed in early embryos. PLK-1 shows anterior cytoplasmic enrichment and CDC-25.1 shows PLK-1-dependent enrichment in the anterior nucleus. Both proteins are required for normal mitotic progression. Furthermore, these asymmetries are controlled by PAR proteins and the muscle excess (MEX) proteins MEX-5/MEX-6, and the latter is linked to protein degradation. Our results support a model whereby the PAR and MEX-5/MEX-6 proteins asymmetrically control PLK-1 levels, which asymmetrically regulates CDC-25.1 to promote differences in cell cycle lengths. We suggest that control of Plk1 and Cdc25 may be relevant to regulation of cell cycle length in other developmental contexts.

CDC-25.1 stability is regulated by distinct domains to restrict cell division during embryogenesis in C. elegans

Cdc25 phosphatases are key positive cell cycle regulators that coordinate cell divisions with growth and morphogenesis in many organisms. Intriguingly in C. elegans, two cdc-25.1(gf) mutations induce tissue-specific and temporally restricted hyperplasia in the embryonic intestinal lineage, despite stabilization of the mutant CDC-25.1 protein in every blastomere. We investigated the molecular basis underlying the CDC-25.1(gf) stabilization and its associated tissue-specific phenotype. We found that both mutations affect a canonical beta-TrCP phosphodegron motif, while the F-box protein LIN-23, the beta-TrCP orthologue, is required for the timely degradation of CDC-25.1. Accordingly, depletion of lin-23 in wild-type embryos stabilizes CDC-25.1 and triggers intestinal hyperplasia, which is, at least in part, cdc-25.1 dependent. lin-23(RNAi) causes embryonic lethality owing to cell fate transformations that convert blastomeres to an intestinal fate, sensitizing them to increased levels of CDC-25.1. Our characterization of a novel destabilizing cdc-25.1(lf) intragenic suppressor that acts independently of lin-23 indicates that additional cues impinge on different motifs of the CDC-25.1 phosphatase during early embryogenesis to control its stability and turnover, in order to ensure the timely divisions of intestinal cells and coordinate them with the formation of the developing gut.

Cdc25 phosphatases: structure, specificity, and mechanism

Cdc25 phosphatases, as activators of the Cdk/cyclins, play critical roles in the regulation of the eukaryotic cell cycle. Because of their overexpression and correlation with poor prognosis in many diverse cancers, Cdc25 phosphatases are attractive targets for anticancer drug development. Over the past few years, much knowledge of the basic enzymology of the Cdc25 phosphatases that may aid in the development of specific inhibitors has been gained. We review herein the structure, specificity, and mechanism of the Cdc25 phosphatases with a special focus on the activity of Cdc25 phosphatases with native protein substrates.

The Caenorhabditis elegans homologue of deleted in azoospermia is involved in the sperm/oocyte switch

The Deleted in Azoospermia (DAZ) gene family encodes putative translational activators that are required for meiosis and other aspects of gametogenesis in animals. The single Caenorhabditis elegans homologue of DAZ, daz-1, is an essential factor for female meiosis. Here, we show that daz-1 is important for the switch from spermatogenesis to oogenesis (the sperm/oocyte switch), which is an essential step for the hermaphrodite germline to produce oocytes. RNA interference of the daz-1 orthologue in a related nematode, Caenorhabditis briggsae, resulted in a complete loss of the sperm/oocyte switch. The C. elegans hermaphrodite deficient in daz-1 also revealed a failure in the sperm/oocyte switch if the genetic background was conditional masculinization of germline. DAZ-1 could bind specifically to mRNAs encoding the FBF proteins, which are translational regulators for the sperm/oocyte switch and germ stem cell proliferation. Expression of the FBF proteins seemed to be lowered in the daz-1 mutant at the stage for the sperm/oocyte switch. Conversely, a mutation in gld-3, a gene that functionally counteracts FBF, could partially restore oogenesis in the daz-1 mutant. Together, we propose that daz-1 plays a role upstream of the pathway for germ cell sex determination.

A Caenorhabditis elegans tissue model of radiation-induced reproductive cell death

We have developed a tissue model of radiation-induced reproductive cell death in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Reproductive cell death is the primary mode of death in tissue multipotential precursor cells, or "clonogens," the targets of cytotoxic therapy, whose elimination results in normal tissue damage as well as solid-tumor eradication. Through extensive morphologic and genetic analysis, we have confirmed that cell death in this model represents reproductive cell death in isolation from apoptotic cell death, affording the opportunity to define the genetic pathways required for protection from reproductive cell death. We have additionally found that the DNA damage response pathway is necessary for protection from reproductive cell death, supporting the long-held tenet that DNA damage is the cause of reproductive cell death and further validating this model. This genetic tissue model provides a valuable tool for oncology-based research and affords a platform to broaden our insight into responses to cytotoxic therapy in tissues.

CDC-25.1 regulates germline proliferation in Caenorhabditis elegans

The cell cycles in C. elegans are tightly controlled but appear to use the same regulators found in other organisms. Four homologues of the dual-specificity phosphatase Cdc25 are present in the C. elegans genome. In our study, we have characterized a deletion mutant for one of these orthologues. We show that embryonic defects are absent in cdc-25.1 homozygous mutants, presumably because of maternally contributed CDC-25.1 product. These embryos hatch and develop into sterile adults. The adults do not appear to have any somatic defects. The sterility results from inadequate germline proliferation. Germline precursors divide slowly and produce abnormally sized daughter cells. Only three to four rounds of germ-cell division occur before they die during the L3 and L4 larval stages.

Organ-specific cell division abnormalities caused by mutation in a general cell cycle regulator inC. elegans

The precise control of cell division during development is pivotal for morphogenesis and the correct formation of tissues and organs. One important gene family involved in such control is the p21/p27/p57 class of negative cell cycle regulators. Loss of function of the C. elegans p27 homolog, cki-1, causes extra cell divisions in numerous tissues including the hypodermis, the vulva, and the intestine. We have sought to better understand how cell divisions are controlled upstream or in parallel to cki-1 in specific organs during C. elegans development. By taking advantage of the invariant cell lineage of C. elegans, we used an intestinal-specific GFP reporter in a screen to identify mutants that undergo cell division abnormalities in the intestinal lineage. We have isolated a mutant with twice the wild-type complement of intestinal cells, all of which arise during mid-embryogenesis. This mutant, called rr31, is a fully dominant, maternal-effect, gain-of-function mutation in the cdc-25.1 cell cycle phosphatase that sensitizes the intestinal lineage to an extra cell division. We showed that cdc-25.1 acts at the G1/S transition, as ectopic expression of CDC-25.1 caused entry into S phase in intestinal cells. In addition, we showed that the cdc-25.1(gf) requires cyclin E. The extra cell division defect was shown to be restricted to the E lineage and the E fate is necessary and sufficient to sensitize cells to this mutation.

Oncogenic potential of a C.elegans cdc25 gene is demonstrated by a gain-of-function allele

In multicellular organisms, developmental programmes must integrate with central cell cycle regulation to co-ordinate developmental decisions with cell proliferation. Hyperplasia caused by deregulated proliferation without significant change to other aspects of developmental behaviour is a probable step towards full oncogenesis in many malignancies. CDC25 phosphatase promotes progression through the eukaryotic cell cycle by dephosphorylation of cyclin-dependent kinase and, in humans, different cdc25 family members have been implicated as potential oncogenes. Demonstrating the direct oncogenic potential of a cdc25 gene, we identify a gain-of-function mutant allele of the Caenorhabditis elegans gene cdc-25.1 that causes a deregulated proliferation of intestinal cells resulting in hyperplasia, while other aspects of intestinal cell function are retained. Using RNA-mediated interference, we demonstrate modulation of the oncogenic behaviour of this mutant, and show that a reduction of the wild-type cdc-25.1 activity can cause a failure of proliferation of intestinal and other cell types. That gain and loss of CDC-25.1 activity has opposite effects on cellular proliferation indicates its critical role in controlling C.elegans cell number.

Cdc25 as a potential target of anticancer agents

Ever since its discovery in yeast more than a decade ago [1], Cdc25 has continued to surprise and intrigue researchers. This dual-specificity protein tyrosine phosphatase (dsPTPase) and other members of the protein tyrosine phosphatase family (PTPases) have only recently joined the protease and kinase enzyme families in drug discovery efforts. The role of phosphatases in tumourigenesis was reviewed recently by Parsons [2]. He is arguing that the phosphatase family of enzymes is involved in a variety of cancers and thus poses both a challenge and an opportunity for new therapeutics. The general biology and biochemistry of Cdc25 were recently reviewed [3]. Here I shall first summarize the recent literature on the role of Cdc25 in disease, as well as on new insights into the regulation of this family of proteins. In the second part, I will review current knowledge of the Cdc25 protein structure and the chemical structures and activities of published Cdc25 inhibitors.

Activation of MPF at meiosis reinitiation in starfish oocytes

Although maturation or M-phase-promoting factor (MPF) was originally identified as a cytoplasmic activity responsible for induction of maturation or meiosis reinitiation in oocytes, MPF is now thought to be the universal trigger of G2/M-phase transition in all eukaryotic cells, and its activity is ascribed to cyclin B. Cdc2 kinase. Here, the activation process of cyclin B. Cdc2 at meiosis reinitiation in starfish oocytes is compared with that at G2/M-phase transition in mitotic somatic cells. Based on this comparison, the role of cyclin B. Cdc2 in the original cytoplasmic MPF activity is reexamined.

RNA-Mediated interference of a cdc25 homolog in Caenorhabditis elegans results in defects in the embryonic cortical membrane, meiosis, and mitosis

The CDC25 dual-specificity phosphatase family has been shown to play a key role in cell cycle regulation. The phosphatase activity of CDC25 drives the cell cycle by removing inhibitory phosphates from cyclin-dependent kinase/cyclin complexes. Although the regulation of CDC25 phosphatase activity has been elucidated both biochemically and genetically in other systems, the role of this enzyme during development is not well understood. To examine the expression pattern and function of CDC25 in Caenorhabditis elegans, we characterized a cdc25 homolog, cdc-25.1, during early embryonic development. The CDC-25.1 protein localizes to oocytes, embryonic nuclei, and embryonic cortical membranes. When the expression of CDC-25.1 was disrupted by RNA-mediated interference, the anterior cortical membrane of fertilized eggs became very fluid during meiosis and subsequent mitotic cell cycles. Mispositioning of the meiotic spindle, defects in polar body extrusion and chromosome segregation, and abnormal cleavage furrows were also observed. We conclude that CDC-25.1 is required for a very early developmental process-the proper completion of meiosis prior to embryogenesis.