Cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) sensors have facilitated investigations of the cell cycle in living cells. These genetically encoded fluorescent biosensors change their subcellular location upon activation of CDKs. Activation is primarily regulated by their association with cyclins, which in turn trigger cell-cycle progression. In the absence of CDK activity, cells exit the cell cycle and become quiescent, a key step in stem cell maintenance and cancer cell dormancy. The evolutionary conservation of CDKs has allowed for the rapid development of CDK activity sensors for cell lines and several research organisms, including nematodes, fish, and flies. CDK activity sensors are utilized for their ability to visualize the exact moment of cell-cycle commitment. This has provided a breakthrough in understanding the proliferation-quiescence decision. Further adoption of these biosensors will usher in new discoveries focused on the cell-cycle regulation of development, ageing, and cancer.
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June 2022
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The pore-forming BCL-2 family proteins mediate mitochondrial poration to initiate apoptosis through protei–protein and protein–lipid interactions. Structural biology has been used to elucidate their mechanisms of activation, dimerization, and interaction with membranes, and AlphaFold, which relies solely on sequence information, can accurately predict the activated states, from Moldoveanu and colleagues, pages 35 to 47.
Review Article|
June 08 2022
CDK activity sensors: genetically encoded ratiometric biosensors for live analysis of the cell cycle
Michael A. Q. Martinez
;
Michael A. Q. Martinez
Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, U.S.A
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David Q. Matus
Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, U.S.A
Correspondence: David Q. Matus (david.matus@stonybrook.edu)
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Publisher: Portland Press Ltd
Received:
February 18 2022
Revision Received:
May 09 2022
Accepted:
May 18 2022
Online ISSN: 1470-8752
Print ISSN: 0300-5127
© 2022 The Author(s). Published by Portland Press Limited on behalf of the Biochemical Society
2022
Biochem Soc Trans (2022) 50 (3): 1081–1090.
Article history
Received:
February 18 2022
Revision Received:
May 09 2022
Accepted:
May 18 2022
Citation
Michael A. Q. Martinez, David Q. Matus; CDK activity sensors: genetically encoded ratiometric biosensors for live analysis of the cell cycle. Biochem Soc Trans 30 June 2022; 50 (3): 1081–1090. doi: https://doi.org/10.1042/BST20211131
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