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Cyclin-Dependent Kinases

Abstract:

Cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) are a family of serine/threonine protein kinases whose activity depends on association with a noncatalytic regulatory subunit called cyclin. The genes that encode CDKs were initially identified in screens for conditional mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which reversibly arrested at characteristic points in the cell cycle upon transfer to the restrictive conditions. Cyclins were initially named for their periodic accumulation and degradation (cycling) through the early cell cycles of fertilized sea urchin eggs. Their activation markedly changes during cell cycle progression. The fusion of these two lines of research identified a ubiquitous cell cycle engine responsible for coordinating cell growth, DNA replication, and mitosis in an orderly fashion required to ensure the viability of progeny cells. On the basis of their functions, CDKs can be classified into two groups: those involved in the control of the cell cycle and others responsible for transcriptional regulation.