Cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) are CDC2 (116940)-related kinases that bind to cyclin to form
active holoenzymes that play a pivotal role in the regulation of the eukaryotic cell cycle.
NCBI Summary:
The protein encoded by this gene (p35) is a neuron-specific activator of cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (CDK5); the activation of CDK5 is required for proper development of the central nervous system. The p35 form of this protein is proteolytically cleaved by calpain, generating a p25 form. The cleavage of p35 into p25 results in relocalization of the protein from the cell periphery to nuclear and perinuclear regions. P25 deregulates CDK5 activity by prolonging its activation and changing its cellular location. The p25 form accumulates in the brain neurons of patients with Alzheimer's disease. This accumulation correlates with an increase in CDK5 kinase activity, and may lead to aberrantly phosphorylated forms of the microtubule-associated protein tau, which contributes to Alzheimer's disease.
General function
Cell cycle regulation
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Cellular localization
Cytoplasmic, Nuclear
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Ovarian function
Oogenesis
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Cdk5/p35 expression in the mouse ovary.
Lee KY, et al .
Cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5) is primarily associated with brain development but it is also implicated in lens and muscle differentiation. We found that Cdk5 is also expressed in mouse ovary, and explored the possibility that it plays a role in that tissue. We show by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry that the known Cdk5 activator, p35, is also present in the mouse ovary. Cdk5 and p35 were detected in oocytes at all stages of the follicle. While Cdk5 was present in the cytoplasm and nucleus of the oocyte, p35 was observed only in the cytoplasm. Both proteins were detected in the cytoplasm of luteinized cells in the corpus luteum. Immunoprecipitation and histone H1 kinase assays revealed that they form an ovarian complex with considerable kinase activity. Phosphorylation assays showed that several ovarian proteins are substrates for Cdk5/p35 in vitro. Together our findings suggest that p35-associated Cdk5 activity plays an important role in the ovary, where it may regulate cell differentiation and apoptosis as it does in the brain.
Expression regulated by
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Ovarian localization
Oocyte, Luteal cells
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This gene is highly expressed in a bovine ovary cDNA library.