Role of the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor in early embryonic development

There is now considerable literature on the importance of phosphatidylinosi tol cycle activation in transducing information of various types across the plasma membrane. Though much of the data derives from studies on somatic c ells, there is increasing evidence for crucial events related to developmen t, including fertilization, cell cycle progression and dorsoventral axis fo rmation. In this review, focus is directed mainly to the molecular basis of the inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate receptor expressed in oocytes and early em bryos of Xenopus. Recent progress in studies concerning the role of this re ceptor in early embryonic development is discussed.