Inhibition of initiation of DNA replication in Xenopus egg extracts by a phosphatase inhibitor, calyculin A.

The protein phosphatase inhibitor calyculin A was found to strongly inhibit the DNA replication activity of Xenopus egg extracts in a dose-dependent manner. Calyculin A (0.8 nM) completely prevented the oscillation in DNA replication activity of mitotic extracts released by the addition of CaCl2. In contrast, in the case of extracts prepared from eggs activated by calcium ionophore A23187, calyculin A (0.8 nM) had no effect on the first peak of the oscillation in activity but inhibited the second peak of the oscillation. These results strongly suggest that calyculin A inhibits a protein phosphatase, which is involved in the initiation of DNA replication in the Xenopus egg extracts.