Cyclin Dependent Kinase 2 Associated Protein 1 (CDK2AP1)

Cyclin-dependent kinase 2-associated protein 1 is a specific CDK2-associated protein, which is thought to negatively regulate CDK2 activity by sequestering monomeric CDK2, and targeting CDK2 for proteolysis. This protein was found to also interact with DNA polymerase alpha/primase and mediate the phosphorylation of the large p180 subunit, which suggested the regulatory role in DNA replication during S phase of the cell cycle. A similar gene in hamster was isolated from, and functions as a growth suppressor of normal keratinocytes.To investigate its possible role in esophageal carcinogenesis, they examined genetic alterations in expression levels of the gene in 13 esophageal carcinoma cell lines and 10 primary esophageal carcinomas.