Cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2C (p18, inhibits CDK4) Adenovirus (Ad-p18)

A family of cell cycle regulatory proteins designated mitotic inhibitors plays a major role in regulating progression through the cell cycle. These proteins bind to cyclin dependent kinases and inhibit the catalytic activity of the Cdk-cyclin complexes. Members of the mitotic inhibitor family include p21, p27, p57, p16, p15, p18 and p19. p19 ARF is an alternative splice product of the murine p16 gene and is known to induce cell cycle arrest. The human homolog p14 ARF induces cell cycle arrest in both G1 and G2/M in a p53-dependent fashion. Kip2 p57, a negative regulator of cell proliferation, inhibits several G1 cyclin/CDK complexes. The protein encoded by this gene is a member of the INK4 family of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors. This protein has been shown to interact with CDK4 or CDK6, and prevent the activation of the CDK kinases, thus function as a cell growth regulator that controls cell cycle G1 progression.