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Updated: May 29, 2026

Experimental Approaches to Study Mitochondrial Localization and Function of a Nuclear Cell Cycle Kinase, Cdk1
Published on: February 25, 2016
Going out of the brain: non-nervous system physiological and pathological functions of Cdk5
Erick Contreras-Vallejos1, Elias Utreras, Christian Gonzalez-Billault
1Department of Biology and Institute for Cell Dynamics and Biotechnology, Faculty of Sciences, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile. erickcontreras@gmail.com
Abstract:
Cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5) is a proline-directed serine/threonine kinase that is mostly active in the nervous system, where it regulates several processes such as neuronal migration, actin and microtubule dynamics, axonal guidance, and synaptic plasticity, among other processes. In addition to these known functions, in the past few years, novel roles for Cdk5 outside of the nervous system have been proposed. These include roles in gene transcription, vesicular transport, apoptosis, cell adhesion, and migration in many cell types and tissues such as pancreatic cells, muscle cells, neutrophils, and others. In this review, we will summarize the recently studied non-neuronal functions of Cdk5, with a thorough analysis of the biological consequences of these novel roles.
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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...
M-Cdk Drives Transition Into Mitosis
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...

