Increased phosphorylation of vinculin on tyrosine does not occur during the release of stress fibers before mitosis in normal cells.

We examined the extent of phosphorylation of vinculin on tyrosine after pulse labeling synchronized cells with 32PO4 at various stages of the cell cycle. No significant increase was observed in the incorporation of radioactivity into vinculin phosphotyrosine throughout the cell cycle, suggesting that the increased rate of phosphorylation of vinculin on tyrosine may not be the major event regulating stress fiber dissolution before mitosis.