Cyclin-dependent kinase

A protein kinase whose activity depends on binding a cyclin protein. Cyclin-dependent kinases regulate cell-cycle progression and other cellular processes by phosphorylating target proteins.

Cyclin: A regulatory protein whose abundance changes during the cell cycle and that activates cyclin-dependent kinases by binding them. Cyclins bind these kinases and help determine when their activity rises.
Protein kinase: An enzyme that transfers phosphate groups, usually from ATP, to proteins. Cyclin-dependent kinases are members of this enzyme family.
CDK1: A cyclin-dependent kinase that drives entry into and progression through mitosis. CDK1 is the central kinase controlling the transition into mitosis.
Mitogen-activated protein kinase: A kinase in signaling cascades that relay extracellular cues to cellular responses. Unlike CDKs, MAP kinases are generally activated by signaling cascades rather than cyclin binding.
Retinoblastoma protein: A tumor-suppressor protein that restricts cell-cycle progression by binding E2F transcription factors. CDK4 and CDK6 phosphorylation of retinoblastoma protein releases E2F and promotes G1 progression.
CDK-activating kinase: A kinase complex that phosphorylates cyclin-dependent kinases at an activating site. This phosphorylation helps fully activate cyclin-bound CDKs.
Protein phosphorylation: The covalent addition of a phosphate group to a protein, often changing its activity or interactions. CDKs regulate targets by adding phosphate groups to them.
CDK2: A cyclin-dependent kinase involved in DNA replication and progression through S phase. CDK2 helps initiate DNA replication and coordinate S-phase progression.
Aurora kinase: A family of serine/threonine kinases that regulates chromosome segregation and cell division. Aurora kinases act in mitosis but are not activated by cyclins.
E2F transcription factor: A family of transcription factors that regulates genes required for DNA synthesis and cell-cycle progression. E2F is released from retinoblastoma protein after CDK-dependent phosphorylation.

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