The present study aimed to determine the effect of small interfering RNA (siRNA)‑induced inhibition of cyclin‑dependent kinase 2 (Cdc2) expression on osteosarcoma MG63 cell proliferation and apoptosis. An siRNA expression plasmid, psilencer 2.1‑U6/Cdc2, targeting the Cdc2 gene, and a control psilencer 2.1‑U6/Scramble plasmid were constructed and transfected into MG63 cells using liposomes. Cdc2...

The progression of cells from G(2) into mitosis is blocked by exposure to DNA-damaging agents such as ionizing radiation. This G(2) delay is associated with reduced cyclin B1-specific associated histone H1 kinase activity, increased inhibitory phosphorylation of p34(Cdc2), and depressed cyclin B1 levels in HeLa cells. Induction of cyclin B1 or expression of Cdc2AF, a mutant p34(Cdc2) that lacks...

In higher eukaryotes, Cdk2 kinase plays an essential role in regulating the G1-S transition. Here, we use cycling Xenopus egg extracts to examine the requirement of Cdk2 kinase on progression into mitosis. Interestingly, when Cdk2 kinase activity is inhibited by the Cdk-specific inhibitor, p21Cip1, a block to mitosis occurs, and inactive Cdc2-cyclin B accumulates. This block occurs in the absen...

At any point during the progression of many tumor types, cells can develop a hyperploid DNA content. Hyperploid tumors are significant more aggressive, with a higher growth rate and a poor patient prognosis. Yeast genetics have implicated three important genes involved in DNA ploidy changes: cdc2, cyclin b, and a specific inhibitor of the p34(cdc2)/cyclin B kinase, rum1. Mutations in these gene...

The regulation of the mitotic histone HI kinase activity has been analyzed during the naturally synchronous cell cycle of Physanun polycephalum plasmodia. The universal binding property of the pl3 Schizosaccharomyces pombe gene product was used to precipitate and assay the cdc2 histone HI kinase activity. The kinase activity peaks at the beginning of metaphase and its decline, which requires pr...

Wee1, the Cdc2 inhibitory kinase, needs to be down-regulated at the onset of mitosis to ensure rapid activation of Cdc2. Previously, we have shown that human somatic Wee1 (Wee1A) is down-regulated both by protein phosphorylation and degradation, but the underlying mechanisms had not been elucidated. In the present study, we have identified the beta-transducin repeat-containing protein 1/2 (beta...

The induction of M phase in eukaryotic cell cycles requires robust activation of Cdc2/cyclin B by Cdc25, which itself is robustly activated by serine/threonine phosphorylations. Although multiple protein kinases that directly activate Cdc25C have been identified, whether the combination of different primary phosphorylations of Cdc25C is sufficient to fully activate Cdc25C has not been determine...

Fos and Jun form dimeric complexes that bind to activator protein 1 (AP-1) DNA sequences and regulate gene expression. The levels of expression and activities of these proteins are regulated by a variety of extracellular stimuli. They are thought to function in nuclear signal transduction processes in many different cell types. The role of Fos and Jun in gene transcription is complex and may be...

This study aimed to determine the molecular mechanisms underlying the effect of the LMP1-targeted DNAzyme 1 (DZ1) on cell cycle progression in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cells. We showed that the active DZ1 inhibited the expression of latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1) and induced a G1 phase arrest. In addition, this cell cycle deregulation was shown to be accompanied by upregulation of the D...