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10 sources retrieved · Most recent: April 2026 · Index updated 14 days ago
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CDK3
cyclin dependent kinase 3
Chromosome 17 · 17q25.1
NCBI Gene: 1018Ensembl: ENSG00000250506.10HGNC: HGNC:1772UniProt: Q00526
71PubMed Papers
20Diseases
4Drugs
0Pathogenic Variants
FUNCTIONAL ROLE
Kinase
CLINICAL
Clinical Trials
DATA QUALITY
✓ Experimental GO Evidence✓ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
G0 to G1 transitionDNA damage responsenegative regulation of Notch signaling pathwayprotein bindingneoplasmsmall cell lung carcinomabreast cancercolorectal cancer
✦AI Summary

CDK3 (cyclin-dependent kinase 3) is a serine/threonine protein kinase that plays a critical role in cell cycle regulation, particularly during G0-G1 and G1-S transitions 1. CDK3 drives retinoblastoma (Rb) phosphorylation during the G0/G1 transition and early G1 phase, preceding the effects of other CDKs, and can directly regulate E2F activity independently of Rb 1. The protein forms complexes with cyclin C and cyclin E2, with cyclin E2 specifically activating both CDK2 and CDK3 2. CDK3 expression is extremely low in normal human tissues but significantly upregulated in various cancers, including nasopharyngeal carcinoma and colorectal cancer, where it correlates with disease progression and metastasis 134. In colorectal cancer, CDK3 promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition through phosphorylating c-Jun and activating AP-1 signaling 4. CDK3 is regulated by microRNAs, particularly miR-150, miR-873, and miR-125a-3p, which suppress its expression and exhibit tumor suppressor functions 56. Recent studies have identified CDK3 as a driver of neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease, where elevated levels induce neuronal death through cell cycle reentry mechanisms 7.

Sources cited
1
CDK3 drives Rb phosphorylation during G0/G1 transition and can regulate E2F activity; expression is low in normal tissue but upregulated in cancers
PMID: 35533805
2
CDK3 is overexpressed in nasopharyngeal carcinoma and correlates with disease progression and TNM staging
PMID: 24691537
3
CDK3 promotes colorectal cancer metastasis through epithelial-mesenchymal transition via phosphorylating c-Jun and activating AP-1
PMID: 26755651
4
Cyclin E2 specifically interacts with and activates both CDK2 and CDK3
PMID: 9840943
5
miR-150 directly targets CDK3, leading to decreased cell proliferation and anti-cancer effects
PMID: 28108217
6
CDK3 is regulated by miR-873 and miR-125a-3p in lung cancer stemness
PMID: 29344850
7
CDK3 is elevated in Alzheimer's disease brains and drives neurodegeneration through cell cycle reentry-induced neuronal death
PMID: 41419666
Disease Associationsⓘ20
neoplasmOpen Targets
0.10Weak
small cell lung carcinomaOpen Targets
0.10Suggestive
breast cancerOpen Targets
0.09Suggestive
colorectal cancerOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
chronic lymphocytic leukemiaOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
Mantle cell lymphomaOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
posterior cortical atrophyOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
inflammatory bowel diseaseOpen Targets
0.06Suggestive
non-small cell lung carcinomaOpen Targets
0.06Suggestive
multiple myelomaOpen Targets
0.06Suggestive
cancerOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
nasopharyngeal carcinomaOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
colorectal carcinomaOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
hepatocellular carcinomaOpen Targets
0.03Suggestive
Guillain-Barre syndromeOpen Targets
0.03Suggestive
metastatic malignant neoplasmOpen Targets
0.03Suggestive
skin cancerOpen Targets
0.03Suggestive
esophageal squamous cell carcinomaOpen Targets
0.03Suggestive
Peyronie diseaseOpen Targets
0.02Suggestive
Alzheimer diseaseOpen Targets
0.02Suggestive
Pathogenic Variants
No pathogenic variants reported on ClinVar for this gene.
View on ClinVar ↗
Drug Targets4
AT-7519Phase II
Cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor
chronic lymphocytic leukemia
AZD-5438Phase I
Cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor
PHA-793887Phase I
Cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor
RONICICLIBPhase II
Cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor
small cell lung carcinoma
Related Genes
CDK2Protein interaction100%CDKN1BProtein interaction100%CDKN1AProtein interaction100%CCNA1Protein interaction100%CDT1Protein interaction100%CDK1Protein interaction100%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Liver
100%
Bone Marrow
63%
Ovary
52%
Lung
48%
Heart
20%
Brain
4%
Gene Interaction Network
Click a node to explore
CDK3CDK2CDKN1BCDKN1ACCNA1CDT1CDK1
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
Preparing viewer…
PDB7XQK · 2.25 Å · X-ray
View on RCSB ↗
Constraintⓘ
LOEUFⓘ
1.08LoF Tolerant
pLIⓘ
0.00Tolerant
Observed/Expected LoF0.76 [0.54–1.08]
RankingsWhere CDK3 stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #6,620of 20,598
    Most Researched71
  • #10,996of 17,882
    Most Constrained (LOEUF)1.08
Genes detectedCDK3
Sources retrieved10 papers
Response time—
📄 Sources
10▼
1
CDK3 induces neuronal death and brain atrophy in Alzheimer's disease.
PMID: 41419666
Nat Aging · 2026
1.00
2
An overview of CDK3 in cancer: clinical significance and pharmacological implications.
PMID: 35533805
Pharmacol Res · 2022
0.90
3
CDK3 expression and its clinical significance in human nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
PMID: 24691537
Mol Med Rep · 2014
0.80
4
[CDK3 expression and its clinical significance in human nasopharyngeal carcinoma].
PMID: 24358800
Lin Chuang Er Bi Yan Hou Tou Jing Wai Ke Za Zhi · 2013
0.70
5
HuR facilitates cancer stemness of lung cancer cells via regulating miR-873/CDK3 and miR-125a-3p/CDK3 axis.
PMID: 29344850
Biotechnol Lett · 2018
0.60