G1 cyclins regulate proliferation of the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The eukaryotic cell cycle is regulated at two points, the G1-S and G2-M boundaries. The molecular basis for these regulatory activities has recently been elucidated, in large part by the use of molecular and genetic analyses using unicellular yeast. The molecular characterization of cell-cycle regulation has revealed striking functional conservation among evolutionarily diverse cell types. For many eukaryotic cells, regulation of cell proliferation occurs primarily in the G1 interval. The G1 regulatory step, termed START, requires the activation of a highly conserved p34 protein kinase by association with a functionally redundant family of proteins, the G1 cyclins. Here we review studies using the genetically tractable budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which have provided insight into the role of G1 cyclins in the regulation of START.