High impact information on wee

• Fission yeast Mor2/Cps12, a protein similar to Drosophila Furry, is essential for cell morphogenesis and its mutation induces Wee1-dependent G(2) delay [1].
• This phosphorylation is believed to be carried out primarily by the Wee1 kinase [2].
• We report here that a human gene, identified as a possible Wee1 homologue, blocks cell division when overexpressed in HeLa cells [2].
• BACKGROUND: Wee1 kinases delay entry into mitosis by phosphorylating and inactivating cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (Cdk1) [3].
• Loss of Wee1 function in fission or budding yeast causes premature entry into mitosis [4].

Biological context of wee

• Dwee1 mRNA is maternally provided to embryos, and is zygotically expressed during the postblastoderm divisions of embryogenesis [5].
• Wee1 kinases catalyze inhibitory phosphorylation of the mitotic regulator Cdk1, preventing mitosis during S phase and delaying it in response to DNA damage or developmental signals during G2 [6].
• Overexpression of Dwee1 or Dmyt1 during eye development generates a rough adult eye phenotype [6].
• These findings modify previous models about cell cycle regulation in syncytial embryos and demonstrate that Wee1 kinases can regulate mitotic entry in vivo during metazoan development even in cycles that lack a G2 phase [4].
• Drosophila Wee1 interacts with members of the gammaTURC and is required for proper mitotic-spindle morphogenesis and positioning [3].

Associations of wee with chemical compounds

• Dwee1 kinase is closely related to human and Xenopus Wee1 homologues, and can inhibit Cdc2 activity by phosphorylating a critical tyrosine residue [5].
• 5. To study the function of Wee1 further, we have developed MEF cells in which Wee1 is disrupted by a tamoxifen inducible Cre-LoxP approach [7].

Enzymatic interactions of wee

• Drosophila Wee1 kinase rescues fission yeast from mitotic catastrophe and phosphorylates Drosophila Cdc2 in vitro [5].

Regulatory relationships of wee

• Drosophila Wee1 kinase regulates Cdk1 and mitotic entry during embryogenesis [4].
• OSBP-Dm was identified by its ability to overcome the cell cycle arrest induced by over-expression of Wee1p in fission yeast [8].

Other interactions of wee

• We have isolated the genes encoding Drosophila Wee1 and Myt1 and are using genetic approaches to dissect their functions during normal development [6].
• Ectopic expression of the Drosophila Cdk1 inhibitory kinases, Wee1 and Myt1, interferes with the second mitotic wave and disrupts pattern formation during eye development [6].
• Like mei-41 and grp, Dwee1 is zygotically dispensable but is required maternally for completing the embryonic nuclear cycles [9].
• We suggest that Dwee1 has a role in the meiotic checkpoint that regulates the meiotic cell cycle, but not the translation of gurken mRNA [10].
• Dxl6 is located on the second chromosome in a position next to hrp48 and Dwee1 [11].

Analytical, diagnostic and therapeutic context of wee

• In this study, we established Wee1 knockout mice by gene targeting [7].

References