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A Cdk7-Cdk4 T-loop phosphorylation cascade promotes G1 progression.

ABSTRACT: Eukaryotic cell division is controlled by cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs), which require phosphorylation by a CDK-activating kinase (CAK) for full activity. Chemical genetics uncovered requirements for the metazoan CAK Cdk7 in determining cyclin specificity and activation order of Cdk2 and Cdk1 during S and G2 phases. It was unknown if Cdk7 also activates Cdk4 and Cdk6 to promote passage of the restriction (R) point, when continued cell-cycle progression becomes mitogen independent, or if CDK-activating phosphorylation regulates G1 progression. Here we show that Cdk7 is a Cdk4- and Cdk6-activating kinase in human cells, required to maintain activity, not just to establish the active state, as is the case for Cdk1 and Cdk2. Activating phosphorylation of Cdk7 rises concurrently with that of Cdk4 as cells exit quiescence and accelerates Cdk4 activation in vitro. Therefore, mitogen signaling drives a CDK-activation cascade during G1 progression, and CAK might be rate-limiting for R point passage.

SUBMITTER: Schachter MM

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3677717 | biostudies-other | 2013 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other

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A Cdk7-Cdk4 T-loop phosphorylation cascade promotes G1 progression.

Schachter Miriam Merzel MM Merrick Karl A KA Larochelle Stéphane S Hirschi Alexander A Zhang Chao C Shokat Kevan M KM Rubin Seth M SM Fisher Robert P RP

Molecular cell 20130401 2

Eukaryotic cell division is controlled by cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs), which require phosphorylation by a CDK-activating kinase (CAK) for full activity. Chemical genetics uncovered requirements for the metazoan CAK Cdk7 in determining cyclin specificity and activation order of Cdk2 and Cdk1 during S and G2 phases. It was unknown if Cdk7 also activates Cdk4 and Cdk6 to promote passage of the restriction (R) point, when continued cell-cycle progression becomes mitogen independent, or if CDK-ac ...[more]

PMID: 23622515

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Project description:The retinoblastoma tumor suppressor protein (Rb) regulates early G1 phase checkpoints, including the DNA damage response, as well as cell cycle exit and differentiation. The widely accepted model of G1 cell cycle progression proposes that cyclin D:Cdk4/6 partially inactivates the Rb tumor suppressor during early G1 phase by progressive multi-phosphorylation, termed hypo-phosphorylation, resulting in release of E2F transcription factors. However, this model remains largely unproven biochemically and the biologically active form(s) of Rb remains unknown. Here we find that Rb is un-phosphorylated in G0 cells and becomes exclusively mono-phosphorylated throughout all of early G1 phase by cyclin D:Cdk4/6. Early G1 phase mono-phosphorylated Rb is composed of 14 independent isoforms that are all targeted by the E1a oncoprotein, but each shows a preferential binding pattern to specific E2F1-4 transcription factors. At the late G1 Restriction Point, cyclin E:Cdk2 inactivates Rb by a quantum hyper-phosphorylation (>12 phosphates/Rb). Cells undergoing a DNA damage response activate cyclin D:Cdk4/6 to generate mono-phosphorylated Rb that regulates global transcription. In contrast, a non-phosphorylatable ?Cdk-Rb allele was non-functional for regulating a DNA damage response, but functional for driving cell cycle exit and differentiation during myogenesis. These observations fundamentally change our understanding of G1 cell cycle progression and show that there is no progressive multi-phosphorylation or hypo-phosphorylation inactivation of Rb during early G1 phase by cyclin D:Cdk4/6. Instead, cyclin D:Cdk4/6 generates functionally active, mono-phosphorylated Rb that is the only Rb isoform present in cells during early G1 phase. Global transcriptional analysis of murine embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) with conditional deletion of the endogenous RB gene by treatment with cell permeable TAT-Cre. Comparison to unaltered MEFs and MEFs with physiological level of exogenous wildtype or phospho-mutant RB expressed at time of RB gene deletion.

Dataset Information

A Cdk7-Cdk4 T-loop phosphorylation cascade promotes G1 progression.

Publications

A Cdk7-Cdk4 T-loop phosphorylation cascade promotes G1 progression.

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