| Activity of the cyclin-dependent kinases CDK4 and CDK6 is regulated by T-loop phosphorylation, by the abundance of their cyclin partners (the D-type cyclins), and by association with CDK inhibitors of the Cip/Kip or INK family of proteins (1). The inactive ternary complex of cyclin D/CDK4 and p27 Kip1 requires extracellular mitogenic stimuli for the release and degradation of p27 concomitant with a rise in cyclin D levels to affect progression through the restriction point and Rb-dependent entry into S-phase (2). The active complex of cyclin D/CDK4 targets the retinoblastoma protein for phosphorylation, allowing the release of E2F transcription factors that activate G1/S-phase gene expression (3). Levels of cyclin D protein drop upon withdrawal of growth factors through downregulation of protein expression and phosphorylation-dependent degradation (4). Of the three D cyclins, aberrant expression of cyclin D1 has been associated with many forms of cancer including B cell lymphomas and can directly contribute to oncogenesis by various mechanisms including gene translocation or amplification (2). Cyclin D1 also plays a critical role in mammary tissue maturation (5). |
