INH, a negative regulator of MPF, is a form of protein phosphatase 2A

MPF, a protein kinase complex consisting of cyclin and p34 cdc2 subunits, promotes the G2 to M phase transition in eukaryotic cells. The pathway of activation and inactivation of MPF is not well understood, although there is strong evidence that removal of phosphate from a tyrosine residue on p34 cdc2 is part of the activation process. INH was originally identified as an activity that could inhibit the posttranslational activation of a latent form of MPF, called pre-MPF, in immature (G2 phase-arrested) Xenopus oocytes. We have purified INH and demonstrated that it is a form of protein phosphatase 2A. Both INH and the catalytic subunit of protein phosphatase 2A can directly inactivate an isolated p34 cdc2 -cyclin complex. Both cyclin and p34 cdc2 become dephosphorylated; the rate of inactivation closely parallels the removal of phosphate from a specific site on p34 cdc2 . We propose that INH opposes MPF activation by reversing this critical phosphorylation.