Che-1 enhances cyclin-dependent kinase 5 expression and interacts with the active kinase-complex

Che-1 is a nuclear protein involved in the regulation of gene transcription and cell proliferation. It has also been shown to localize to the cytoplasm of postmitotic neuronal cells, where it is able to interact with the microtubule-associated protein tau. Cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5) is a postmitotic proline-directed serine/threonine kinase that hyperphosphorylates tau under pathological conditions. We observed that Che-1 overexpression induces Cdk5 expression both at the mRNA and protein levels. Furthermore, we show that Che-1 directly interacts with Cdk5 protein in vivo. Cdk5/Che-1 complex formation does not compete with Cdk5/p35 interaction, thus Che-1 is able to bind the active kinase complex. Finally, we demonstrated that Che-1 is itself a Cdk5 substrate.