Cdt2 Background Information
WD-repeats are motifs that are found in a variety of proteins and are characterized by a conserved core of 40-60 amino acids that commonly form a tertiary propeller structure. While proteins that contain WD-repeats participate in a wide range of cellular functions, they are generally involved in regulatory mechanisms concerning chromatin assembly, cell cycle control, signal transduction, RNA processing, apoptosis and vesicular trafficking. Cdt2, also known as DTL (denticleless homolog), CDW1, DCAF2, L2DTL or RAMP, is a 730 amino acid protein that localizes to both the cytoplasm and the nuclear membrane and contains seven WD repeats. Expressed in testis, placenta, bone marrow, thymus and skeletal muscle, Cdt2 is required for DNA damage-induced Cdt1 proteolysis and is also thought to play an essential role in DNA replication and cell proliferation. Upon DNA damage, Cdt2 is subject to phosphorylation, probably by ATM or ATR. Two isoforms of Cdt2 exist due to alternative splicing events.
