Progress in the relevance of CDK12 with tumors / 肿瘤

ABSTRACT

Cancer represents a pathological characteristic of uncontrolled cell division. The cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) are a kinds of key factors regulating cell cycle progression and transcription process. Since the dysregulation of CDKs is a frequently occurring event driving tumorigenesis, CDKs have been tested extensively as the targets for cancer therapy. CDK12 is a transcription-associated kinase which participates in various cellular processes, including DNA damage response, cellular development and differentiation, as well as precursor mRNA splicing and processing. The mutations and amplification of CDK12 gene have been recently reported in different types of malignancies, such as loss-of-function mutations in high-grade serous ovarian carcinomas, which suggests that CDK12 is a tumor suppressor. On the contrary, CDK12 is overexpressed in other tumors, which suggests that CDK12 has some properties of oncogene. This paper reviews the structure and function of CDK12 gene, as well as the relationship between CDK12 gene and cancers.