Cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5) and neuron-specific Cdk5 activators

While cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5) is widely distributed in mammalian tissues and in cultured cell lines, Cdk5-associated kinase activity has been demonstrated only in mammalian brains. An active form of Cdk5, called neuronal cdc2-like kinase (Nclk) has been purified from mammalian brain and shown to be a heterodimer of Cdk5 and a 25 kDa protein, which is derived proteolytically from a 35 kDa brain and neuron-specific protein. The protein is essential for the kinase activity of Cdk5 and is therefore designated neuronal Cdk5 activator, p25/35Nck5a. Nclk appears to have important neuronal functions. The changes in Cdk5 and Nck5a expression appear to correlate with the terminal differentiation of neurons of the mouse embryonic brain. Transfection of cultured cortical neurons with dominant negative cdk5 mutants or Nck5a antisense DNA may reduce neurite growth, suggesting that Nclk plays an active role in neuron differentiation. A number of cytoskeletal proteins including neurofilament proteins, the neuron-specific microtubule associated protein tau, and the actin binding protein caldesmon are in vitro substrates of Nclk. Although Nck5a has cyclin-like activity, it shows minimal amino acid sequence identity to members of cyclin family proteins. The mechanism of activation of Cdk5 by Nck5a differs from that of cyclin activation of Cdks in that full Cdk5 kinase activity can be achieved in the absence of phosphorylation of Cdk5. An isoform of Nck5a, a 39 kDa protein has been cloned and shown to share extensive amino acid identity and the mechanism of Cdk5 activation with Nck5a. These proteins may represent a subfamily of Cdk activators distinct from cyclins.