PTEN is required for the normal progression of gastrulation by repressing cell proliferation after MBT in Xenopus embryos.

PTEN phosphatase mediates several developmental cues involving cell proliferation, growth, death, and migration. We investigated the function of the PTEN gene at the transition from the cell proliferation state to morphogenesis around the midblastula transition (MBT) and gastrulation in Xenopus embryos. An immunoblotting analysis indicated that PTEN expresses constantly through embryogenesis. By up- or down-regulating PTEN activity using overexpression of the active form or C terminus of PTEN before MBT, we induced elongation of the cell cycle time just before MBT or maintained its speed even after MBT, respectively. The disruption of the cell cycle time by changing the activity of PTEN delayed gastrulation after MBT. In addition, PTEN began to localize to the plasma membranes and nuclei at MBT. Overexpression of a membrane-localizing mutant of PTEN caused dephosphorylation of Akt, whereas overexpression of the C terminus of PTEN caused phosphorylation of Akt and inhibited the localization of EGFP-PTEN to the plasma membranes and nuclei. These results indicate that an appropriate PTEN activity, probably regulated by its differential localization, is necessary for coordinating cell proliferation and early morphogenesis.