Maturation promoting factor

The mitosis - promoting factor (also maturation promoting factor, M - phase promoting factor, abbreviated MPF ) is a protein complex, ie a network of proteins, is important for the regulation of the cell cycle in eukaryotes because it initiates mitosis. It consists of the cyclin dependent kinase CDK1 (also known as cdc2 ) and the regulatory proteins cyclin A or B.

In the inactive state of the two enzymes, the CDK1 is phosphorylated and dephosphorylated prior to the cyclin. After conversion of CDK1 in a dephosphorylated and cyclin in a phosphorylated form of the two components lie down together to the active mitosis - promoting factor. MPF controls the kinase activity of CDK1 phosphorylation of different proteins, such as histone H1 or lamin and thus initiates the prophase of mitosis. The activated proteins cause among other things, a condensation of the chromatin, the dissolution of the nuclear envelope and the organization of the spindle apparatus. These processes are essential for mitosis.