List the functions of kinases and cyclins, and describe how they interact to cause cells to move through the cell cycle.

Verified step by step guidance

1. Start by defining kinases and cyclins: Kinases are enzymes that add phosphate groups to other proteins (phosphorylation), which can activate or deactivate those proteins. Cyclins are regulatory proteins whose levels fluctuate throughout the cell cycle.
2. Explain the role of cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs): These are kinases that require binding to a cyclin to become active. Alone, CDKs are inactive; binding to the appropriate cyclin activates them.
3. Describe how cyclins regulate CDKs: Different cyclins are produced and degraded at specific stages of the cell cycle, ensuring that CDKs are activated only at the correct times to drive the cell cycle forward.
4. Outline the process of cell cycle progression: When a cyclin binds to its CDK partner, the activated complex phosphorylates target proteins that trigger transitions between cell cycle phases (e.g., G1 to S phase, G2 to M phase).
5. Summarize the interaction: The cyclical production and destruction of cyclins control CDK activity, which in turn regulates key checkpoints and events in the cell cycle, ensuring orderly progression through the phases.

Key Concepts

Functions of Kinases

Kinases are enzymes that catalyze the transfer of phosphate groups to specific target proteins, a process called phosphorylation. This modification alters the activity, interactions, or localization of proteins, regulating various cellular processes including progression through the cell cycle.

Functions of Cyclins

Cyclins are regulatory proteins whose levels fluctuate throughout the cell cycle. They bind to and activate cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs), controlling the timing and order of cell cycle events by ensuring that key processes occur only when appropriate.

Interaction of Cyclins and Kinases in Cell Cycle Progression

Cyclins bind to CDKs, activating these kinases to phosphorylate target proteins that drive the cell through different phases of the cell cycle. This interaction ensures orderly progression, such as the transition from G1 to S phase and from G2 to mitosis, coordinating cell growth and division.