# CDK5

Source: https://onco.cc/targets/cdk5/  
OnCo record `cdk5` (Target). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

CDK5 (Cyclin-dependent kinase 5) is a protein kinase, an enzyme that switches other proteins on by adding phosphate groups. The public catalogues list it as a biomarker, and clinical evidence ties its variants to diagnosis, prognosis or drug response. Tied to Melanoma.

## Summary

Proline-directed serine/threonine-protein kinase essential for neuronal cell cycle arrest and differentiation and may be involved in apoptotic cell death in neuronal diseases by triggering abortive cell cycle re-entry. Interacts with D1 and D3-type G1 cyclins. Phosphorylates SRC, NOS3, VIM/vimentin, p35/CDK5R1, MEF2A, SIPA1L1, SH3GLB1, PXN, PAK1, MCAM/MUC18, SEPT5, SYN1, DNM1, AMPH, SYNJ1, CDK16, RAC1, RHOA, CDC42, TONEBP/NFAT5, MAPT/TAU, MAP1B, histone H1, p53/TP53, HDAC1, APEX1, PTK2/FAK1, huntingtin/HTT, ATM, MAP2, NEFH and NEFM.

CIViC holds 1 clinical evidence item and 0 assertions across 1 variant.

## Fields

- Kind: Target
- Last checked: 2026-09-23
- Also known as: cyclin dependent kinase 5; Cyclin-dependent kinase 5; PSSALRE
- Tags: cancer-genes-wave
- Symbol: CDK5
- Class: kinase
- Biology: Proline-directed serine/threonine-protein kinase essential for neuronal cell cycle arrest and differentiation and may be involved in apoptotic cell death in neuronal diseases by triggering abortive cell cycle re-entry. Interacts with D1 and D3-type G1 cyclins. Phosphorylates SRC, NOS3, VIM/vimentin, p35/CDK5R1, MEF2A, SIPA1L1, SH3GLB1, PXN, PAK1, MCAM/MUC18, SEPT5, SYN1, DNM1, AMPH, SYNJ1, CDK16, RAC1, RHOA, CDC42, TONEBP/NFAT5, MAPT/TAU, MAP1B, histone H1, p53/TP53, HDAC1, APEX1, PTK2/FAK1, huntingtin/HTT, ATM, MAP2, NEFH and NEFM. Regulates several neuronal development and physiological processes including neuronal survival, migration and differentiation, axonal and neurite growth, synaptogenesis, oligodendrocyte differentiation, synaptic plasticity and neurotransmission, by phosphorylating key proteins. Negatively regulates the CACNA1B/CAV2.2 -mediated Ca(2+) release probability at hippocampal neuronal soma and synaptic terminals. Activated by interaction with CDK5R1 (p35) and CDK5R2 (p39), especially in postmitotic neurons, and promotes CDK5R1 (p35) expression in an autostimulation loop. Location: Cytoplasm; Nucleus; Cell membrane; Perikaryon (UniProt). Locus 7q36.1 (HGNC).
- Where found: Melanoma: CIViC evidence names this disease

## Notes

- Written by scripts/fetch-cancer-genes.ts from CIViC, Open Targets, IntOGen, HGNC and UniProt; the function text is UniProt's, condensed and in UK spelling. Roles: CIViC holds 1 clinical evidence items on its variants. Evidence tier "clinical-evidence" is the strongest of those signals.
- Prevalence not recorded: none of the sources gives a positivity rate.

## Sources

- HGNC HGNC:1774: https://www.genenames.org/data/gene-symbol-report/#!/hgnc_id/HGNC:1774
- UniProt Q00535: https://www.uniprot.org/uniprotkb/Q00535/entry
- NCBI Gene 1020: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/1020
- Ensembl ENSG00000164885: https://www.ensembl.org/Homo_sapiens/Gene/Summary?g=ENSG00000164885

## Connected records

- collections: [CIViC](https://onco.cc/collections/civic/)
- cancers: [Melanoma](https://onco.cc/cancers/melanoma/)

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JSON: https://onco.cc/api/v1/entities/cdk5.json