Cdk1: Unsung Hero of S Phase?

Cdk2 has been viewed as a key cell cycle regulator that is essential for S phase progression. The recent discovery that Cdk2 is not required for cell proliferation in mice now shows that other factors must be able to replace Cdk2 in stimulating DNA replication. Experiments performed in Xenopus egg extracts identify the mitotic protein kinases Cdk1/Cyclin B and Cdk1/Cyclin A as likely candidates. These observations raise the intriguing possibility that Cdk1 normally participates in genome duplication in wild type cells.