title: Inhibition of cyclin-dependent kinases by p21.
abstract: p21Cip1 is a cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk) inhibitor that is transcriptionally activated by p53 in response to DNA damage. We have explored the interaction of p21 with the currently known Cdks. p21 effectively inhibits Cdk2, Cdk3, Cdk4, and Cdk6 kinases (Ki 0.5-15 nM) but is much less effective toward Cdc2/cyclin B (Ki approximately 400 nM) and Cdk5/p35 (Ki > 2 microM), and does not associate with Cdk7/cyclin H. Overexpression of P21 arrests cells in G1. Thus, p21 is not a universal inhibitor of Cdks but displays selectivity for G1/S Cdk/cyclin complexes. Association of p21 with Cdks is greatly enhanced by cyclin binding. This property is shared by the structurally related inhibitor p27, suggesting a common biochemical mechanism for inhibition. With respect to Cdk2 and Cdk4 complexes, p27 shares the inhibitory potency of p21 but has slightly different kinase specificities. In normal diploid fibroblasts, the vast majority of active Cdk2 is associated with p21, but this active kinase can be fully inhibited by addition of exogenous p21. Reconstruction experiments using purified components indicate that multiple molecules of p21 can associate with Cdk/cyclin complexes and inactive complexes contain more than one molecule of p21. Together, these data suggest a model whereby p21 functions as an inhibitory buffer whose levels determine the threshold kinase activity required for cell cycle progression.
authors.affiliation: Verna & Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Harper
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Elledge
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Keyomarsi
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dynlacht
authors.forename: L H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dobrowolski
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Connell-Crowley
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Swindell
mesh_terms: D001667:Binding, Competitive; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018844:Cyclin-Dependent Kinases / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016213:Cyclins / Q000378:metabolism; D004794:Enzyme Repression / Q000502:physiology; D016193:G1 Phase / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D016370:Gene Products, rex / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D016283:Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras) / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D016196:S Phase / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D016213:Cyclins; D016370:Gene Products, rex; D018844:Cyclin-Dependent Kinases; D016283:Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras)