WEE2 oocyte meiosis inhibiting kinase (WEE2)

WEE2 oocyte meiosis inhibiting kinase, also known as WEE1B, is a specialized serine/threonine kinase that plays a critical role in regulating the meiotic cell cycle in oocytes (UniProt: P0C1S8). It functions by phosphorylating and inhibiting CDK1 (Cyclin-dependent kinase 1), which is essential for maintaining oocytes in meiotic prophase I arrest until the surge of luteinizing hormone triggers maturation (PubMed: 29606350). Unlike its somatic counterpart WEE1, WEE2 expression is highly restricted to the oocyte, making it a pivotal factor in female fertility. Mutations in the WEE2 gene are a known cause of fertilization failure and oocyte maturation arrest in humans (PubMed: 30135333). In therapeutic contexts, WEE2 is studied as a target for treating specific forms of infertility and is also investigated in oncology, where WEE family inhibitors like Adavosertib are used to bypass cell cycle checkpoints and sensitize cancer cells to DNA-damaging agents (NCBI Gene: 494551). Its tissue-specific expression profile offers a potential advantage for targeted therapies with reduced systemic toxicity compared to pan-WEE inhibitors.

Other names

WEE1 homolog 2WEE1BWEE1-like protein kinase 2Oocyte-specific Wee1-like kinase

Inhibition of kinase activity to prevent the inhibitory phosphorylation of CDK1, thereby promoting meiotic progression or inducing mitotic catastrophe in susceptible cells.