# CONTROL OF THE CELL CYCLE IN EARLY EMBRYOS

> **NIH NIH R01** · HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL · 1994 · $346,231

## Abstract

Within minutes of fertilization, clam embryos begin to make
several new proteins, some of which are absolutely essential for
progress through the cell cycle and entry into mitosis.  Two of
these proteins, cyclin A and cyclin B, appear to be regulators of
mitosis.  They accumulate across the cell cycle and are abruptly
destroyed near the end of each mitosis.  Direct evidence shows
that the rise in cyclin A can induce mitosis; indirect evidence
suggests that cyclin B lead to exit from mitosis.  The long term
goals of this project are to understand the roles of the cyclins in
the cell cycles of early embryos and to investigate their functions
in somatic cell cycles of vertebrates.  (1) Immunofluorescence
techniques will be used to visualize the intracellular distributions
of the cyclins as cell proceed through the cell cycle.  (2)
Antibodies and purified cyclin proteins will be used to study the
relationship between the cyclins and MPF (M phase Promoting
Factor), a key regulator of the cell cycle that has eluded
purification and molecular characterizations since its discovery
almost twenty years ago.  (3) Cell-free systems will be used to
identify the specific mitotic processes that are controlled or
influenced by the cyclins.  (4) Existing and new antibodies and
DNA probes will be used to search for cyclin proteins and genes in
somatic cells.  This work should identify important regulatory
steps that control the cell cycle at the G2/M transition and it may
reveal new kinds of regulatory mechanisms in somatic cells.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 2198926
- **Project number:** 5R01HD023696-08
- **Recipient organization:** HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL
- **SAM.gov UEI:** JDLVAVGYJQ21
- **Principal Investigator:** JOAN V RUDERMAN
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1994
- **Award amount:** $346,231
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1989-09-01 → 1998-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/2198926

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 2198926, CONTROL OF THE CELL CYCLE IN EARLY EMBRYOS (5R01HD023696-08). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/2198926. Licensed CC0.

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