Commentary

A dual role of Cdk2 in DNA damage response

Ande Satyanarayana² and Philipp Kaldis¹

¹  Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Proteos, 61 Biopolis Drive, Singapore 138673, Republic of Singapore

²  Mouse Cancer Genetics Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute-Frederick, Bldg 560/22-69, 1050 Boyles Street, Frederick, Maryland 21702-1201, USA

author email corresponding author email

Cell Division 2009, 4:9doi:10.1186/1747-1028-4-9

Published:	18 May 2009

Abstract

Once it was believed that Cdk2 was the master regulator of S phase entry. Gene knockout mouse studies of cell cycle regulators revealed that Cdk2 is dispensable for S phase initiation and progression whereby Cdk1 can compensate for the loss of Cdk2. Nevertheless, recent evidence indicates that Cdk2 is involved in cell cycle independent functions such as DNA damage repair. Whether these properties are unique to Cdk2 or also being compensated by other Cdks in the absence of Cdk2 is under extensive investigation. Here we review the emerging new role of Cdk2 in DNA damage repair and also discuss how the loss of Cdk2 impacts the G₁/S phase DNA damage checkpoint.