Regulation of spindle formation by active mitogen-activated protein kinase and protein phosphatase 2A during mouse oocyte meiosis

Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) regulate oocyte meiosis, yet little is known regarding their mechanisms of action. This study addressed the functional importance of active MAPK and PP2A in regulating oocyte meiosis. Experiments were conducted to identify MAPK activation, PP2A activity, intracellular enzyme trafficking, and ultrastructural associations during meiosis. Questions of requisite kinase and/or phosphatase activity and chromatin condensation, microtubule polymerization, and spindle formation were addressed. At the protein level, MAPK and PP2A were present in constant amounts throughout the first meiotic division. Both MAPK and PP2A were activated following germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) in conjunction with metaphase I development. Immunocytochemical studies confirmed the absence of active MAPK in germinal vesicle-intact (GVI) and GVBD oocytes. At metaphase I and during the metaphase I/metaphase II transition, activated MAPK colocalized with microtubules, poles, and plates of meiotic spindles. Protein phosphatase 2A was dispersed evenly throughout the GVI oocyte cytoplasm. Throughout the metaphase I/metaphase II transition, PP2A colocalized with microtubules of meiotic spindles. Both active MAPK and PP2A associated with in vitro-polymerized microtubules, suggesting that active MAPK and PP2A locally regulate spindle formation. Inhibition of MAPK activation resulted in compromised microtubule polymerization, no spindle formation, and loosely condensed chromosomes. Treatment with okadaic acid (OA) or calyculin-A (CL-A), which inhibits oocyte cytoplasmic PP2A, caused an absence of microtubule polymerization and spindles, even though MAPK activity was increased under these treatment conditions. Thus, active MAPK is required, but is not sufficient, for normal meiotic spindle formation and chromosome condensation. In addition, the oocyte OA/CL-A-sensitive PP, presumably PP2A, is essential for microtubule polymerization and meiotic spindle formation.