Investigation of the role of Wee2 in the zebrafish midblastula transition

[摘要] Zebrafish embryonic development begins with a series of rapid and synchronous cell divisions that quickly partition the zygote into a set of small blastomeres. The minimal cell division cycle during this period consists only of genomic replication followed by segregation of the genomic copies into new daughter cells. Following this period of rapid division is the midblastula transition (MBT), when the rate of cell division slows and becomes asynchronous. In several key model organisms the slowing of cell division is dependent upon phosphoinhibition of the key cell cycle regulatory protein Cdk1. In zebrafish, mRNA of the putative Cdk1 inhibitor wee2 is maternally provided. We used morpholino oligonucleotide meditated blocking of maternal wee2 translation to investigate its potential role in cell cycle regulation at the MBT. We found that wee2 is required for proper mitotic activity, initiation of morphogenetic movements and possibly activation of the zygotic genome shortly after the MBT.

[发布机构] Rice University

[效力级别] Biological