Cell reproduction: induction of M-phase events by cyclin-dependent cdc2 kinase

Although a major concern in the development of multicellular organisms is cell differentiation, the construction of a multicellular system essentially depends on cell multiplication, which consists of genomic duplication and segregation. Recent progress has revealed that cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) are key components of a cell cycle engine that governs cell proliferation. This article focuses on how CDKs induce M-phase events characterized by nuclear membrane breakdown, chromosome condensation and mitotic spindle formation to assure genomic segregation.