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Related Experiment Videos

Bistability in the JNK cascade.

C P Bagowski1, J E Ferrell

  • 1Division of Chemical Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305-5174, USA.

Current Biology : CB
|August 23, 2001
PubMed
Summary
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The JNK signaling pathway in Xenopus oocytes exhibits an all-or-none, bistable response to stimuli. This biochemical memory, driven by positive feedback, is crucial for oocyte maturation and early development.

Area of Science:

  • Cellular signaling pathways
  • Biochemistry of cell cycle regulation
  • Developmental biology

Background:

  • Signaling proteins can exhibit complex properties like adaptation and bistability.
  • The JNK cascade is a well-studied signaling system.
  • Xenopus laevis oocytes are suitable for quantitative cell signaling analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To quantitatively assess JNK cascade responses to physiological (progesterone) and pathological (sorbitol) stimuli in Xenopus oocytes.
  • To determine if JNK responses are graded, ultrasensitive, or bistable.
  • To investigate the role of feedback mechanisms in JNK signaling.

Main Methods:

  • Experimental assessment of JNK activity in Xenopus oocytes.
  • Stimulation with progesterone and hyperosmolar sorbitol.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Quantitative analysis of JNK response characteristics.

    • Main Results:

    • JNK responses to both stimuli were essentially all-or-none, with few intermediate activity levels.
    • JNK activation was autocatalytic, indicating a positive feedback loop.
    • JNK displayed hysteresis in response to sorbitol, demonstrating biochemical memory.

    Conclusions:

    • JNK signaling in Xenopus oocytes functions as a bistable system, characterized by all-or-none responses, positive feedback, and hysteresis.
    • Bistability is a common feature in oocyte maturation and embryogenesis, seen in other pathways like Mos/MEK/p42 MAPK and Cdc2/cyclin B.
    • Evolution has repeatedly favored bistability for generating digital responses in biological systems.