title: First the CDKs, now the DDKs.
abstract: In budding yeast, Dbf4p and Cdc7p control initiation of DNA synthesis. They form a protein kinase - Cdc7p being the catalytic subunit and Dbf4p a cyclin-like molecule that activates the kinase in late G1 phase. Dbf4p also targets Cdc7p to origins of replication, where probable substrates include certain Mcm proteins. Recent studies have identified Dbf4p- and Cdc7p-related proteins in fission yeast and metazoans. These homologues also phosphorylate Mcm proteins and could have a similar function to that of Dbf4p-Cdc7p in budding yeast. Thus, it seems likely that, like the cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs), the Dbf4p-Cdc7p activity is conserved in all eukaryotes.
authors.affiliation: Division of Yeast Genetics, National Institute for Medical Research, The Ridgeway, Mill Hill, London, UK NW7 1AA. ljohnst@nimr.mrc.ac.uk
authors.forename: L H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Johnston
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Masai
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sugino
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000502:physiology*; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D018844:Cyclin-Dependent Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D004261:DNA Replication; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D012568:Schizosaccharomyces / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D029702:Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins
chemical_list: D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; C088096:Dbf4 protein, S cerevisiae; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D029702:Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins; C489404:CDC7 protein, S cerevisiae; C068619:CDC7 protein, human; C489406:cdc7 protein, S pombe; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D018844:Cyclin-Dependent Kinases