The cell cycle rallies the transcription cycle: Cdc28/Cdk1 is a cell cycle-regulated transcriptional CDK.

In the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) Kin28, Bur1 and Ctk1 regulate basal transcription by phosphorylating the carboxyl-terminal domain (CTD) of RNA polymerase II. However, very little is known about the involvement of the cell cycle CDK Cdc28 in the transcription process. We have recently shown that, upon cell cycle entry, Cdc28 kinase activity boosts transcription of a subset of genes by directly stimulating the basal transcription machinery. Here, we discuss the biological significance of this finding and give our view of the kinase-dependent role of Cdc28 in regulation of RNA polymerase II.