Regulation of membrane association and kinase activity of Cdk5-p35 by phosphorylation of p35.

Although protein kinase Cdk5-p35 is important in many aspects of the development and function of the central nervous system, relatively little is known about its regulation. In the present study, we examined the relationship between the association of this kinase with membranes and its activity in perinatal and adult rat brains. Cdk5-p35 in perinatal brain exhibited higher activity than that found in adult tissue.

Activation of latent cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5)-p35 complexes by membrane dissociation.

Cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5) is a Ser/Thr kinase of increasingly recognized importance in a large number of fields, ranging from neuronal migration to synaptic plasticity and neurodegeneration. However, little is known about its mechanism of activation beyond its requirement for binding to p35 or p39. We have examined membrane interactions as one method of regulating the Cdk5-p35 complex.