It recognizes a protein of 55-62kDa, identified as cyclin B1. In mammals, cyclin B associates with inactive p34cdc2, which facilitates phosphorylation of p34cdc2 at aa 14Thr and 15Tyr. This maintains the inactive state until the end of G2-phase. The inactive cyclin B-p34cdc2 complex continues to accumulate in the cytoplasm until the completion of DNA synthesis, when Cdc25, a specific protein phosphatase, dephosphorylates aa 14Thr and 15Tyr of p34cdc2 rendering the complex active at the G2/M boundary. This mitotic kinase complex remains active until the metaphase/anaphase transition when cyclin B is degraded. This degradation process is ubiquitin-dependent and is necessary for the cell to exit mitosis. So, cyclin B-p34cdc2 plays a critical role in G2 to M transition.
