Cyclin Dependent Kinase (cyclin + dependent_kinase)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Terms modified by Cyclin Dependent Kinase

  • cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor

  • Selected Abstracts


    Schizosaccharomyces pombe homolog of Survivin, Bir1p, exhibits a novel dynamic behavior at the spindle mid-zone

    GENES TO CELLS, Issue 7 2006
    Srividya Rajagopalan
    Members of the BIR-domain containing Survivin family of proteins have been identified in a variety of eukaryotes and are known to play important roles in the regulation of mitosis. The Schizosaccharomyces pombe homolog of Survivin, Bir1p, is essential for chromosome condensation and spindle elongation and integrity. Bir1p, a nuclear protein, resides at the kinetochores in metaphase and anaphase A and spreads to the spindle mid-zone in anaphase B. Here we show that this relocation requires Cdk (Cyclin dependent kinase) inactivation and intact microtubules. With the aid of a kinesin mutant, klp5,, we also show that completion of anaphase A is vital for effecting Bir1p re-location to the spindle mid-zone. Although minimal exchange of Bir1p sub-units occurs between the spindle and the nucleoplasm, the protein redistributes laterally within the mid-zone region. Bir1p dynamics therefore significantly differs from that of tubulin on an anaphase B spindle, which is loaded at the plus ends of growing microtubules and shows no lateral redistribution within the spindle. Thus, Bir1p, and possibly its associated proteins, might organize a dynamic mid-zone region that helps spindle elongation and maintenance. [source]


    Cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors for treating cancer

    MEDICINAL RESEARCH REVIEWS, Issue 6 2001
    Peter L. Toogood
    Abstract Cyclin dependent kinases (Cdks) are essential enzymes for the control of cell cycle progression. Inhibitors of cyclin-dependent kinases are anticipated to possess therapeutic utility against a wide variety of proliferative diseases, especially cancer. The field of published small molecule Cdk inhibitors is briefly reviewed here as background to a summary of work on a class of pyrido[2,3- d]pyrimidine Cdk inhibitors. Compounds from this class are described that display potency against cyclin D/Cdk4 up to IC50,=,0.004 ,M. Good to moderate selectivity for cyclin D/Cdk4 is also reported for compounds in this structural class. Structure-activity relationship data are presented for substitution at the C2 and N8 positions and these data are interpreted in the context of a binding model that is based on the Cdk2 crystal structure. A representative cyclin D/Cdk4 inhibitor (compound 56) is demonstrated to selectively inhibit the proliferation of an Rb+ cell line vs. a matched Rb, cell line and to produce a distinct G1 block consistent with cyclin D/Cdk4 inhibition in cells. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Med Res Rev, 21, No. 6, 487,498, 2001 [source]


    In vivo potentiation of human oestrogen receptor , by Cdk7-mediated phosphorylation

    GENES TO CELLS, Issue 10 2004
    Saya Ito
    Phosphorylation of the Ser118 residue in the N-terminal A/B domain of the human oestrogen receptor , (hER,) by mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), stimulated via growth factor signalling pathways, is known to potentiate ER, ligand-induced transactivation function. Besides MAPK, cyclin dependent kinase 7 (Cdk7) in the TFIIH complex has also been found to potentiate hER, transactivation in vitro through Ser118 phosphorylation. To investigate an impact of Cdk7 on hER, transactivation in vivo, we assessed activity of hER, in a wild-type and cdk7 inactive mutant Drosophila that ectopically expressed hER, in the eye disc. Ectopic expression of the wild-type or mutant receptors, together with a green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter gene, allowed us to demonstrate that hER, expressed in the fly tissues was transcriptionally functional and adequately responded to hER, ligands in the patterns similar to those observed in mammalian cells. Replacement of Ser118 with alanine in hER, (S118A mutant) significantly reduced the ligand-induced hER, transactivation function. Importantly, while in cdk7 inactive mutant Drosophila the wild-type hER, exhibited reduced response to the ligand; levels of transactivation by the hER, S118A mutant were not affected in these inactive cdk7 mutant flies. Furthermore, phosphorylation of hER, at Ser118 has been observed in vitro by both human and Drosophila Cdk7. Our findings demonstrate that Cdk7 is involved in regulation of the ligand-induced transactivation function of hER,in vivo via Ser118 phosphorylation. [source]


    p27/Kip1 mediates retinoic acid-induced suppression of ovarian carcinoma cell growth

    JOURNAL OF CELLULAR PHYSIOLOGY, Issue 2 2004
    Scott Vuocolo
    We have investigated the mechanisms by which all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) causes growth inhibition of ovarian carcinoma cells. As a model, we have studied the CAOV3 cell line, which is sensitive to ATRA, and the SKOV3 cell line, which is resistant. We have found that treatment of CAOV3 cells with ATRA causes a 5,10 fold increase in the protein level of the cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor p27/Kip1. p27/Kip1 protein upregulation is important in ovarian carcinoma as primary tumors are frequently found lacking this protein. The increase in p27/Kip1 is detected by day 3 of ATRA treatment of CAOV3 cells, and is maximal by day 5. Messenger RNA levels of p27/Kip1 do not change in CAOV3 cells following ATRA treatment, however, we have shown that p27/Kip1 mRNA is more stable in ATRA treated CAOV3 cells. Conversely, the ATRA resistant cell line SKOV3 fails to show p27/Kip1 accumulation. Interestingly, the SCF component protein SKP2 appears to be decreased in CAOV3 cells treated with ATRA. We have also shown that the ATRA dependent increase in p27/kip1 protein in CAOV3 cells leads to a decrease in the kinase activity of cyclin dependent kinase 4 (CDK4) following ATRA treatment. Finally, we found that CAOV3 cells stably transfected with a p27/kip1antisense construct, which express lower levels of p27/kip1 following ATRA treatment, and have a higher CDK4 kinase activity are less sensitive to ATRA induced growth suppression. Taken together our data suggest ATRA-induced growth inhibition in CAOV3 ovarian carcinoma cells involves modulation of the CDK inhibitor p27/kip1. J. Cell. Physiol. 199: 237,243, 2004© 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


    Vitamin D and Its Analog EB1089 Induce p27 Accumulation and Diminish Association of p27 with Skp2 Independent of PTEN in Pituitary Corticotroph Cells

    BRAIN PATHOLOGY, Issue 4 2002
    Wei Liu
    Disruption of the gene for the cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor (CDKI) p27/kip1 results in pituitary corticotroph hyperplasia while diminished expression of this protein has been described in aggressive human pituitary tumors. We have previously shown that 1,25-vitamin D3 (VD) hypophosphorylates p27 and interferes with the degradation of this CDKI in thyroid carcinoma cells. In this study we investigated whether VD/EB1089 can induce p27 accumulation and cause growth arrest of pituitary corticotroph cells. VD and EB1089 exhibited a significant reduction in AtT20 corticotroph but not PRL235 Iactotroph cell growth. These changes were accompanied by selective accumulation of p27 in AtT20 but not in PRL235 cells. As p27 levels are highly dependent on protein degradation, we examined the effect of VD/EB1089 on p27 association with factors that target this CDKI to the proteasome. VD/EB1089 significantly restricted the association of p27 with Skp2 as well as with cyclin dependent kinase 2 (CDK2). As the tumor suppressor and phosphatase PTEN has been implicated in p27 regulation, we tested whether the effects of VD/EB1089 on p27 accumulation in corticotrophs could be mediated through this pathway. VD/EB1089 did not appreciably alter PTEN expression. Moreover, transfection of PTEN did not influence the effect of VD on p27 accumulation in corticotrophs. We conclude that VD/EB1089 can selectively arrest pituitary corticotroph growth and induce p27 accumulation. This effect is mediated at least partially through diminished p27 association with Skp2 and with CDK2. In contrast to other cell systems, PTEN does not participate in the regulation of corticotroph p27 and is not involved in mediating the effect of VD on p27 in these cells. Our findings highlight p27 and VD analogs as targets for manipulation and drug development respectively in the treatment of inoperable corticotroph adenomas. [source]


    Probing Novel 1-Aza-9-oxafluorenes as Selective GSK-3, Inhibitors

    CHEMMEDCHEM, Issue 1 2008
    Burkhardt Voigt Dr.
    Abstract Within the histopathology of Alzheimer's disease (AD) certain hallmarks are beeing observed. The occurance of protein deposits belong to such characteristic features. Such deposits can be found extracellular as ,-amyloid (A,) plaques and intracellular as neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). In the search for novel AD therapeutics it became of great interest to investigate the formation of NFTs and their contribution to the AD symptomatic. NFTs consist of hyperphosphorylated tau protein. Within the phosphorylation process of tau protein two kinases are of great importance: cyclin dependent kinase 5 (cdk5) and its truncated regulatory subunit p25 and glycogen synthase kinase 3, (GSK-3,). The role of both kinases within the NFT formation process is still under debate. To better understand the pathophysiological process highly selective inhibitors of both kinases are of value. Known inhibitors lack the necessary selectivity. We developed novel 1-aza-9-oxafluo-renes as selective GSK-3, inhibitors. Structure,activity relationships of a series of 4-phenyl substituted derivatives are discussed. Variation of the 3-side chain led to selective carbonyl amide derivatives with selectivity factors of more than 100 at the tested ATP competitor concentrations. Such selectivities permit specific investigation of the role of GSK-3, within the NFT formation processes. [source]


    Control of DNA replication licensing in a cell cycle

    GENES TO CELLS, Issue 6 2002
    Hideo Nishitani
    To maintain genome integrity in eukaryotes, DNA must be duplicated precisely once before cell division occurs. A process called replication licensing ensures that chromosomes are replicated only once per cell cycle. Its control has been uncovered by the discovery of the CDKs (cyclin dependent kinases) as master regulators of the cell cycle and the initiator proteins of DNA replication, such as the Origin Recognition Complex (ORC), Cdc6/18, Cdt1 and the MCM complex. At the end of mitosis, the MCM complex is loaded on to chromatin with the aid of ORC, Cdc6/18 and Cdt1, and chromatin becomes licensed for replication. CDKs, together with the Cdc7 kinase, trigger the initiation of replication, recruiting the DNA replicating enzymes on sites of replication. The activated MCM complex appears to play a key role in the DNA unwinding step, acting as a replicating helicase and moves along with the replication fork, at the same time bringing the origins to the unlicensed state. The cycling of CDK activity in the cell cycle separates the two states of replication origins, the licensed state in G1-phase and the unlicensed state for the rest of the cell cycle. Only when CDK drops at the completion of mitosis, is the restriction on licensing relieved and a new round of replication is allowed. Such a CDK-regulated licensing control is conserved from yeast to higher eukaryotes, and ensures that DNA replication takes place only once in a cycle. Xenopus laevis and mammalian cells have an additional system to control licensing. Geminin, whose degradation at the end of mitosis is essential for a new round of licensing, has been shown to bind Cdt1 and negatively regulate it, providing a new insight into the regulation of DNA replication in higher eukaryotes. [source]


    Cell proliferation and cell cycle control: a mini review

    INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PRACTICE, Issue 12 2004
    C.H. Golias
    Summary Tumourigenesis is the result of cell cycle disorganisation, leading to an uncontrolled cellular proliferation. Specific cellular processes-mechanisms that control cell cycle progression and checkpoint traversation through the intermitotic phases are deregulated. Normally, these events are highly conserved due to the existence of conservatory mechanisms and molecules such as cell cycle genes and their products: cyclins, cyclin dependent kinases (Cdks), Cdk inhibitors (CKI) and extra cellular factors (i.e. growth factors). Revolutionary techniques using laser cytometry and commercial software are available to quantify and evaluate cell cycle processes and cellular growth. S-phase fraction measurements, including ploidy values, using histograms and estimation of indices such as the mitotic index and tumour-doubling time indices, provide adequate information to the clinician to evaluate tumour aggressiveness, prognosis and the strategies for radiotherapy and chemotherapy in experimental researches. [source]