The Leishmania mexicana CRK3 gene encodes a cdc2-related protein kinase wit
h activity towards histone H1. Attempts to disrupt both alleles of CRK3 in
the promastigote life-cycle stage resulted in changes in cell ploidy, which
were avoided only when an extra copy of CRK3 was expressed From an episome
. This provides strong evidence that CRK3 is essential to L. mexicana. The
cyclin-dependent kinase specific inhibitor flavopiridol inhibited affinity
purified histidine tagged CRK3 (CRK3his) with an IC50, value of 100 nM and
inhibited in vitro growth of L. mexicana promastigotes. Incubation of proma
stigotes with 2.5 muM flavopiridol for 24 h led to cell cycle arrest with a
n accumulation of 95% of cells in G2 or early mitosis (G2/M). Release from
cell cycle arrest resulted in a semi-synchronous re-entry into the cell cyc
le; samples taken at 2, 4, and 6 h after release from the block were enrich
ed for cells in G1 (68%). S-phase (70%), and G2/M phase (61%), respectively
. This method of synchronisation was used to show that the majority of CRK3
his activity towards the substrate histone H1 was present at G2/M. These da
ta suggest that CRK3 has an essential role in controlling cell cycle progre
ssion at the G2/M-phase transition in L. mexicana promastigotes. (C) 2001 E
lsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.