MCEF or Major Cdk9

CDK9

CDK9 or cyclin-dependent kinase 9 is a cyclin-dependent kinase associated with P-TEFb.CDK9 is also known to associate with other proteins such as TRAF2, and be involved in differentiation of skeletal muscle...

-interacting elongation factor

Elongation factor

Elongation factors are a set of proteins that facilitate the events of translational elongation, the steps in protein synthesis from the formation of the first peptide bond to the formation of the last one.Elongation is the most rapid step in translation:...

 is a transcription factor

Transcription factor

In molecular biology and genetics, a transcription factor is a protein that binds to specific DNA sequences, thereby controlling the flow of genetic information from DNA to mRNA...

 related to Af4. It is the fourth member of the Af4 family (AFF) of trancription factors, involved in numerous pathologies, including Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia is a form of leukemia, or cancer of the white blood cells characterized by excess lymphoblasts.Malignant, immature white blood cells continuously multiply and are overproduced in the bone marrow. ALL causes damage and death by crowding out normal cells in the bone...

 (ALL), abnormal CNS

Central nervous system

The central nervous system is the part of the nervous system that integrates the information that it receives from, and coordinates the activity of, all parts of the bodies of bilaterian animals—that is, all multicellular animals except sponges and radially symmetric animals such as jellyfish...

 development, breast cancer

Breast cancer

Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...

 and azoospermia

Azoospermia

Azoospermia is the medical condition of a male not having any measurable level of sperm in his semen. It is associated with very low levels of fertility or even sterility, but many forms are amenable to medical treatment...

.

Because it apparently interacts with the species-specific human co-factor (P-TEFb

P-TEFb

Positive Transcription Elongation Factor b is the key factor regulating eukaryotic mRNA transcription at the level of elongation.It is a cyclin dependent kinase, composed of Cdk9 and in humans one of three cyclins, T1, T2, or K....

) for HIV-1 transcription, and because it can repress HIV-1 replication, MCEF (also known as AFF4 or AF5q31) may have future therapeutic uses.

MCEF was originally cloned and named by Mario Clemente Estable of Ryerson University

Ryerson University

Ryerson University is a public research university located in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its urban campus is adjacent to Yonge-Dundas Square located at the busiest intersection in Downtown Toronto. The majority of its buildings are in the blocks northeast of the square in Toronto's Garden...

, while he was a post-doctoral fellow in the laboratory of Robert G. Roeder

Robert G. Roeder

Robert G. Roeder is an American biologist. He is known as a pioneer in eukaryotic transcription. He is the recipient of the Gairdner Foundation International Award in 2000 and the Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research in 2003...

, at the Rockefeller University

Rockefeller University

The Rockefeller University is a private university offering postgraduate and postdoctoral education. It has a strong concentration in the biological sciences. It is also known for producing numerous Nobel laureates...

.