Meiotic maturation in Xenopus laevis oocytes initiated by insulin.

Insulin can induce meiotic division in Xenopus laevis oocytes. This effect shows the specificity expected of a receptor-mediated mechanism. It is potentiated by ethynylestradiol, a steroid antagonist of pregesterone (the natural hormone that provokes meiosis). The Xenopus laevis oocytes may serve as a model for the study of the poorly understood effect of insulin on cell division.