G1 control in yeast and animal cells.

In budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the cell cycle is controlled at the G1/S phase transition by regulating the activity of the CDC28 protein kinase. This is the budding yeast homologue of the cdc2 protein kinase associated in most organisms with control of mitosis. In budding yeast CDC28 controls both the G1/S phase transition and the G2/M phase transition by being differentially activated by two distinct classes of positive regulatory subunits known as G1 cyclins or CLNs and B-type cyclins or CLBs, respectively. To establish whether a similar dual role for Cdc2-related kinases exists in animal cells, we and others have sought human homologues of yeast G1 cyclins. Of several candidates, cyclin E is the most promising in that it accumulates prior to S phase and is associated with a pre-S phase protein kinase activity. The kinetics of accumulation of cyclin E-associated protein kinase activity is consistent with a role at the mammalian cell cycle restriction point.