The protein scaffold and signaling regulator p62 (also known as sequestosome1 (SQSTM1)) is important in critical cellular functions, including bone homeostasis, obesity, and cancer, because of its interactions with various signaling intermediaries. p62 is overexpressed in many human cancers and is induced during cell transformation. cdk1 phosphorylates p62 in vitro and in vivo at T269 and S272, which is necessary for the maintenance of appropriate cyclin B1 levels and the levels of cdk1 activity necessary to allow cells to properly enter and exit mitosis (Mosèet al., 2011). The lack of cdk1-mediated phosphorylation of p62 leads to a faster exit from mitosis, translating into enhanced ell proliferation and tumorigenesis in response to Ras-induced transformation (Mosèet al., 2011).
