Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 10, 2026

Development of Inhibitors of Protein-protein Interactions through REPLACE: Application to the Design and Development Non-ATP Competitive CDK Inhibitors
10:33

Development of Inhibitors of Protein-protein Interactions through REPLACE: Application to the Design and Development Non-ATP Competitive CDK Inhibitors

Published on: October 26, 2015

Targets of the cyclin-dependent kinase Cdk1

Jeffrey A Ubersax1, Erika L Woodbury, Phuong N Quang

  • 1Department of Physiology, University of California, San Francisco, California 94143, USA.

Nature
|October 24, 2003
PubMed

Insights

Researchers identified 200 cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (Cdk1) substrates, revealing a global regulatory strategy in cell reproduction. This discovery advances understanding of cell-cycle control mechanisms.

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Cell Biology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Cell reproduction relies on regulated oscillations of cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdks).
  • Cdks are crucial for cell-cycle control, phosphorylating protein substrates using ATP.
  • Identifying Cdk substrates is vital for understanding cell-cycle regulation, yet few are known.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify novel protein substrates directly phosphorylated by Cdk1.
  • To elucidate the regulatory mechanisms employed by Cdk1 in cell-cycle control.

Main Methods:

  • Screening of a budding yeast proteomic library.
  • In vitro phosphorylation assays using whole-cell extracts.
  • Validation of phosphorylation events in vivo.

Main Results:

  • Approximately 200 direct Cdk1 substrates were identified.
  • Several identified substrates showed Cdk1-dependent phosphorylation in vivo.
  • Substrate analysis indicated a global regulatory role for Cdk1.

Conclusions:

  • Cdk1 utilizes a broad regulatory strategy involving phosphorylation of regulatory molecules and cell-cycle machinery.
  • The identified substrates provide a foundation for deeper insights into cell-cycle regulation.
  • This study expands the known Cdk1 substrate network, enhancing our understanding of cell division.

More Related Videos

Experimental Approaches to Study Mitochondrial Localization and Function of a Nuclear Cell Cycle Kinase, Cdk113:15

Experimental Approaches to Study Mitochondrial Localization and Function of a Nuclear Cell Cycle Kinase, Cdk1

Published on: February 25, 2016

Identification of Cyclin-dependent Kinase 1 Specific Phosphorylation Sites by an In Vitro Kinase Assay12:26

Identification of Cyclin-dependent Kinase 1 Specific Phosphorylation Sites by an In Vitro Kinase Assay

Published on: May 3, 2018

Related Concept Videos

Positive Regulator Molecules01:45

Positive Regulator Molecules

To consistently produce healthy cells, the cell cycle—the process that generates daughter cells—must be precisely regulated.
Positive Regulator Molecules02:39

Positive Regulator Molecules

Mitotic cell division results in daughter cells that exactly resemble the parent cell. However, errors in the DNA replication or distribution of genetic material may lead to genetic mutations that may be passed down to every new cell formed from the resulting abnormal cell. Propagation of such mutant cells is restricted through checkpoint mechanisms present at different stages of the cell cycle. These checkpoints involve regulator molecules that either promote or demote cell cycle events.
Inhibition of Cdk Activity02:34

Inhibition of Cdk Activity

The orderly progression of the cell cycle depends on the activation of Cdk protein by binding to its cyclin partner. However, the cell cycle must be restricted when undergoing abnormal changes. Most cancers correlate to the deregulated cell cycle, and since Cdks are a central component of the cell cycle, Cdk inhibitors are extensively studied to develop anticancer agents. For instance, cyclin D associates with several Cdks, such as Cdk 4/6, to form an active complex. The cyclin D-Cdk4/6 complex...
M-Cdk Drives Transition Into Mitosis02:15

M-Cdk Drives Transition Into Mitosis

Checkpoints throughout the cell cycle serve as safeguards and gatekeepers, allowing the cell cycle to progress in favorable conditions and slow or halt it in problematic ones. This regulation is known as the cell cycle control system.
Cyclin-dependent kinases, or Cdks, work in concert with cyclins to control cell cycle transitions. M-Cdk, a complex of Cdk1 bound to M cyclin, is a well-known example of this coordinated control that drives the transition from the G2 to the M phase.
M cyclin...
Inhibition of CDK Activity02:34

Inhibition of CDK Activity

The orderly progression of the cell cycle depends on the activation of Cdk protein by binding to its cyclin partner. However, the cell cycle must be restricted when undergoing abnormal changes. Most cancers correlate to the deregulated cell cycle, and since Cdks are a central component of the cell cycle, Cdk inhibitors are extensively studied to develop anticancer agents. For instance, cyclin D associates with several Cdks, such as Cdk 4/6, to form an active complex. The cyclin D-Cdk4/6 complex...
M-Cdk Drives Transition Into Mitosis02:15

M-Cdk Drives Transition Into Mitosis

Checkpoints throughout the cell cycle serve as safeguards and gatekeepers, allowing the cell cycle to progress in favorable conditions and slow or halt it in problematic ones. This regulation is known as the cell cycle control system.
Cyclin-dependent kinases, or Cdks, work in concert with cyclins to control cell cycle transitions. M-Cdk, a complex of Cdk1 bound to M cyclin, is a well-known example of this coordinated control that drives the transition from the G2 to the M phase.
M cyclin...