Cyclin Dependent Kinase 7 (CDK7)

Cell division protein kinase 7 is a member of the cyclin-dependent protein kinase (CDK) family. CDK family members are highly similar to the gene products of Saccharomyces cerevisiae cdc28, and Schizosaccharomyces pombe cdc2, and are known to be important regulators of cell cycle progression. This protein forms a trimeric complex with cyclin H and MAT1, which functions as a Cdk-activating kinase (CAK). It is an essential component of the transcription factor TFIIH, that is involved in transcription initiation and DNA repair. This protein is thought to serve as a direct link between the regulation of transcription and the cell cycle.CDK-activating kinases (CAKs) are multisubunit proteins that phosphorylate and thus activate certain cyclin-dependent protein kinases in the regulation of cell cycle progression.