Effect of protein phosphatase inhibitors on the development of mouse embryos: protein phosphorylation is involved in the E-cadherin distribution in mouse two-cell embryos.

Protein phosphorylation plays many important roles in cell functions and cell differentiation. To clarify the roles of protein phosphorylation in early embryonic development in mice, 2-cell embryos were cultured in the presence of various protein phosphatase inhibitors such as calyculin A, okadaic acid, cyclosporin A, tacrolimus (FK506) and benzyl-phosphonic acid. Calyculin A potently inhibited the 2-cell cleavage to the 4-cell stage.