BACKGROUND Cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdks) and their cyclin regulatory subunits control cell growth and division. Cdk2/cyclin E complexes are thought to be required because they phosphorylate the retinoblastoma protein and drive cells through the G1/S transition into the S phase of the cell cycle. In addition, Cdk2 associates with cyclin A, which itself is essential for cell proliferation durin...

Cyclin A1 is tissue-specifically expressed during spermatogenesis, but it is also highly expressed in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Its pathogenetic role in AML and in the cell cycle of leukemic blasts is unknown. B-myb is essential for G1/S transition and has been shown to be phosphorylated by the cyclin A2/cdk2 complex. Here it is demonstrated that cyclin A1 interacts with the C-terminal port...

Calcium transients are known to control several transition points in the eukaryotic cell cycle. For example, we have previously shown that a coordinate elevation in the intracellular free calcium ion concentration is required for G1to S-phase cell cycle progression in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC). However, the molecular basis for this Ca sensitivity was not known. Using buffers with diff...

Cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) play key roles in cell cycle regulation. Genetic analysis in mice has revealed an essential role for Cdk2 in meiosis, which renders Cdk2 knockout (KO) mice sterile. Here we show that mice deficient in RingoA, an atypical activator of Cdk1 and Cdk2 that has no amino acid sequence homology to cyclins, are sterile and display meiotic defects virtually identical to t...

Halophilic archaeon Halolamina pelagica CDK2, showcasing plant growth-promoting properties and endurance towards harsh environmental conditions (high salinity, heavy metals, high temperature UV radiation) was sequenced earlier. Pan-genome of genus created investigated for strain-specific genes which might confer it with features helping to withstand abiotic stress. Pathways subsystems in CDK2 w...

The cyclin-dependent kinases are key cell cycle regulators whose activation is required for passage from one cell cycle phase to the next. In mammalian cells, CDK2 has been implicated in control of the G1 and S phases. We have used a two-hybrid protein interaction screen to identify cDNAs encoding proteins that can interact with CDK2. Among those identified was a protein (KAP), which contained ...

The objective of this research was to study the potential function of protein kinase C (PKC)-ι in cell cycle progression and proliferation in glioblastoma. PKC-ι is highly overexpressed in human glioma and benign and malignant meningioma; however, little is understood about its role in regulating cell proliferation of glioblastoma. Several upstream molecular aberrations and/or loss of PTEN have...

The activation of phase-specific cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdks) is associated with ordered cell cycle transitions. Among the mammalian Cdks, only Cdk1 is essential for somatic cell proliferation. Cdk1 can apparently substitute for Cdk2, Cdk4, and Cdk6, which are individually dispensable in mice. It is unclear if all functions of non-essential Cdks are fully redundant with Cdk1. Using a genetic...

The cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk)-associated protein phosphatase KAP is a dual-specificity phosphatase of which the only known function is to dephosphorylate Cdk2 and inhibit cell cycle progression. Paradoxically, we find increased KAP mRNA expression in malignant astrocytomas, which correlates with increasing histologic grade and decreased patient survival. We have resolved this apparent parad...

Calcium transients are known to control several transition points in the eukaryotic cell cycle. For example, we have previously shown that a coordinate elevation in the intracellular free calcium ion concentration is required for G1- to S-phase cell cycle progression in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC). However, the molecular basis for this Ca2+ sensitivity was not known. Using buffers with ...