This gene encodes a member of a family of serine/threonine protein kinases that participate in cell cycle regulation. The encoded protein is the catalytic subunit of the cyclin-dependent protein kinase complex, which regulates progression through the cell cycle. Like p34cdc2, kinase activity is regulated by phosphorylation state as well as association with a cyclin subunit and a CDK inhibitor. Inhibition of CDK2-cyclin complexes can also be attributed to association with p27 Kip1 and p21 Waf1/Cip1. Activation of CDK2 complexes requires dephosphorylation of Thr14 and Tyr15 by cdc25 phosphatase and phosphorylation of Thr160, which is mediated by CAK, a complex of CDK7 and cyclin H.
