Structural Insights into the Functional Diversity of the CDK-cyclin Family

Overview

Journal Open Biol

Specialties Biology
Cell Biology
Molecular Biology

Date 2018 Sep 7

PMID 30185601

Citations 98

Authors

Daniel J Wood

Jane A Endicott

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Since their characterization as conserved modules that regulate progression through the eukaryotic cell cycle, cyclin-dependent protein kinases (CDKs) in higher eukaryotic cells are now also emerging as significant regulators of transcription, metabolism and cell differentiation. The cyclins, though originally characterized as CDK partners, also have CDK-independent roles that include the regulation of DNA damage repair and transcriptional programmes that direct cell differentiation, apoptosis and metabolic flux. This review compares the structures of the members of the CDK and cyclin families determined by X-ray crystallography, and considers what mechanistic insights they provide to guide functional studies and distinguish CDK- and cyclin-specific activities. Aberrant CDK activity is a hallmark of a number of diseases, and structural studies can provide important insights to identify novel routes to therapy.

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