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. 2022 May 14;41(24):3303–3315. doi: 10.1038/s41388-022-02347-1

Table 1.

Substrates of transcription associated CDKs.

Transcriptional CDK (partner cyclin/other partner protein) Substrate(s) Residue(s) Downstream effect(s) Reference(s)
CDK7 (cyclin H, MAT1) RPB1 (C-terminal domain) Ser5 Facilitates promoter escape [7, 8]
RPB1 (C-terminal domain) Ser7 Recruitment of RPAP2, transcription of snRNA genes [9]
CDK9 (T-loop domain) Ser175 Promotes recruitment of BRD4 [10]
Thr186 Enhanced activity [11]
CDK12 (T-loop domain) Thr893 Enhanced activity [12]
CDK13 (T-loop domain) Thr871 Enhanced activity [12]
MED1 (C-terminal region) Thr1457 Recruitment to chromatin, association with AR and the transcription machinery [13]
SF3B1 18 putative sites (residues 207-434) Affects association with splicing speckles [12]
U2AF2 Unknown Unknown [12]
DNA-binding TFs: AR, E2F1, ERα, Ets1, p53, PPARα, PPARγ2, RARα, RARγ, YAP/TAZ, SF1 Ser515 AR, Ser403/Thr433 E2F1, Ser118 ERα, Thr38 Ets1, Ser33 p53, Ser112 PPARα, Ser12/Ser21 PPARγ2, Ser77 RARα, Ser77/Ser79 RARγ, Ser128/90 YAP/TAZ, Ser203 SF1 Promotes activity and/or regulation of protein turnover [14]
CDK8/CDK19 (cyclin C) Several validated DNA-binding TFs, Mediator subunits, and chromatin regulators (e.g. STAT1, MED12, MED13, SIRT1) Ser727 STAT1, Ser688 MED12, Ser749 MED13, Thr530 SIRT1 Context-dependent effects; potentiation of transcriptional activation [15]
CDK9 (cyclin T1) RPB1 (C-terminal domain) Ser2 Promotes transcription elongation [16]
DSIF (Spt5 subunit) Thr4 Facilitates promoter-proximal pause release of Pol II [17]
NELF (NELF-E subunit) Facilitates promoter-proximal pause release [18]
XRN2 Thr439 Enhanced cleavage of the RNA transcript from Pol II [19]
DNA binding TFs: AR, ERα Ser81, Ser294 Transcriptional activation in response to ligand [20, 21]
CDK11 (cyclin L) AR (N-terminal domain) Ser308 Repression of AR transcription [22]
CDK12/CDK13 (cyclin K) RPB1 (C-terminal domain) Ser2 Promotes elongation and the use of distal 3′ transcription termination sites [23, 40]
RPB1 (C-terminal domain) Ser5

CDK cyclin-dependent kinase, RPB1 DNA-directed RNA polymerase II subunit rpb1, MED1 mediator complex subunit 1, SF3B1 splicing factor 3b subunit 1, U2AF2, small nuclear RNA auxiliary factor 2, TF transcription factor, AR androgen receptor, ERα oestrogen receptor alpha; Ets1 ETS proto-oncogene 1, PPAR peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha, RAR retinoic acid receptor, YAP yes-associated protein 1, TAZ transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif, SF1 splicing factor 1 DSIF DRB sensitivity inducing factor, NELF negative elongation factor, XRN2 5′-3′ exoribonuclease 2, RPAP2 RNA polymerase II-associated protein 2, BRD4 bromodomain-containing protein 4.