Cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) are serine/threonine kinases that are activated by cyclins and govern eukaryotic cell cycle progression. While CDK5 shares high sequence homology with its family members, it is thought mainly to function in postmitotic neurons to regulate the cytoarchitecture of these cells. Analogous to cyclins, the regulatory subunits p35 and p39 associate with and activate CDK5 despite the lack of sequence homology.
