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Cyclin-dependent kinases: a family portrait

Nature Cell Biology volume 11, pages 1275–1276 (2009)Cite this article

To the Editor,

Cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) are protein kinases involved in critical cellular processes, such as cell cycle or transcription, whose activity requires association with specific cyclin subunits. Based on sequence similarity, the human genome contains 21 genes encoding CDKs and five additional genes encoding a more distant group of proteins known as CDK-like (CDKL) kinases. The current nomenclature for CDK proteins includes 11 classical CDKs (CDK1–11), two newly proposed family members (CDK12 and 13) and additional proteins whose names are based on the presence of a cyclin-binding element (PFTAIRE and PCTAIRE proteins) or simply based on a sequence relationship with the original CDKs, such as CDC2-like kinases (CDC2L) or cell cycle-related kinases (CCRK)1. Here we propose the use of 'CDK' for all CDK family members (CDK1–20) on the basis of similarities in sequence and function as described below. This nomenclature will facilitate the rational and comparative study of the poorly understood family members and the analysis of their relevance to human disease.

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Figure 1: Human CDK and CDKL proteins.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cell Division and Cancer Group, Spanish National Cancer Research Center (CNIO), Madrid, 28029, Spain

    Marcos Malumbres

  2. Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, 02115, MA, USA

    Edward Harlow

  3. Cancer Research UK, Clare Hall Laboratories, South Mimms, Herts, EN6 3LD, UK

    Tim Hunt

  4. Molecular and Cell Biology Laboratory, The Salk Institute, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, 92037, CA, USA

    Tony Hunter

  5. Department of Genetics and Tumor Cell Biology, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, 38105, TN, USA

    Jill M. Lahti

  6. Razavi Newman Center for Bioinformatics, Salk Institute, La Jolla, 92037, CA, USA

    Gerard Manning

  7. Department of Physiology, University of California, San Francisco, 94158, CA, USA

    David O. Morgan

  8. Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Picower Institute for Learning and memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, 02119, MA, USA

    Li-Huei Tsai

  9. Departments of Genetics and Development and Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Institute of Human Nutrition, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Medical Center, 10032, NY, USA

    Debra J. Wolgemuth

Authors
  1. Marcos Malumbres
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  2. Edward Harlow
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  3. Tim Hunt
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  4. Tony Hunter
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  5. Jill M. Lahti
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  6. Gerard Manning
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  7. David O. Morgan
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  8. Li-Huei Tsai
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  9. Debra J. Wolgemuth
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Correspondence to Marcos Malumbres.

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Malumbres, M., Harlow, E., Hunt, T. et al. Cyclin-dependent kinases: a family portrait. Nat Cell Biol 11, 1275–1276 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncb1109-1275

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