Polo-like kinase 1 phosphorylates cyclin B1 and targets it to the nucleus during prophase

In vertebrate cells, the nuclear entry of Cdc2-cyclin B1 (MPF1-3) during pr ophase(4-6) is thought to be essential for the induction and coordination o f M-phase events(7-12). Phosphorylation of cyclin B1 is central to its nucl ear translocation(8,13,14), but the kinases that are responsible remain unk nown. Here we have purified a protein kinase from Xenopus M-phase extracts that phosphorylates a crucial serine residue (S147) in the middle of the nu clear export signal sequence(10,13,15) of cyclin B1. We have identified thi s kinase as Plx1 (ref. 16), a Xenopus homologue of Polo-like kinase (Plk)-1 (refs 17, 18). During cell-cycle progression in HeLa cells, a change in th e kinase activity of endogenous Plk1 toward S147 and/or S133 correlates wit h a kinase activity in the cell extracts. An anti-Plk1 antibody depletes th e M-phase extracts of the kinase activity toward S147 and/or S133. An anti- phospho-S147 antibody reacts specifically with cyclin B1 only during G2/M p hase. A mutant cyclin B1 in which S133 and S147 are replaced by alanines re mains in the cytoplasm, whereas wild-type cyclin B1 accumulates in the nucl eus during prophase. Co-expression of constitutively active Plk1 stimulates nuclear entry of cyclin B1. Our results indicate that Plk1 may be involved in targeting MPF to the nucleus during prophase.