CDK3/CyclinE1, Active

CDK3/CyclinE is a member of the cyclin-dependent protein kinase family and promotes entry into S phase, in part by activating members of the E2F family of transcription factors. CDK3 can also associate with cyclin C and phosphorylates the retinoblastoma 1 protein to promote exit from G0. The CDK3 gene has been mapped to chromosomal location of 17q22-qter, telomeric to the BRCA1 gene by somatic cell hybrids analysis (1). The presence of a single point mutation in the CDK3 gene from several Mus musculus strains commonly used in the laboratory has been reported (2).