Control of G1 progression by D-type cyclins: key event for cell proliferation

Mammalian D-type cyclins are differentially expressed during the first gap phase (G1) of the cell cycle in various cell types, and function as regulatory subunits of cyclin-dependent kinases (cdks), cdk4 and cdk6, to form holoenzymes whose activities are both necessary and rate limiting for G1 progression. Mitogenic signals induce the expression of cyclin D and cdk4 proteins, and facilitate their assembly into holoenzymes and their post-translational modification, while anti-proliferative stimuli extinguish the activity of cyclin D-dependent kinases by inducing cdk inhibitors which directly interfere with their catalytic functions and/or inhibit the post-translational activation of cyclin-bound cdks. Therefore, a variety of extracellular signals target and regulate the cyclin D/cdk4 serine/threonine kinases, which execute their critical functions during middle to late G1 phase by phosphorylating key substrates, including the retinoblastoma tumor suppressor gene products (pRb). Although overexpression of cyclin D, or inactivation of Rb or cdk inhibitor gene alone is not sufficient for cell transformation, high frequency of alterations of these genes in cancers suggests that inactivation of this particular pathway is involved in tumor development.