CDC7（Cell Division Cycle 7）是一种丝氨酸/苏氨酸蛋白激酶，属于CDC7基因家族，该家族成员在细胞周期调控中起核心作用，尤其在DNA复制的起始阶段。CDC7通过与调节亚基DBF4（也称为ASK或ASKL1）形成复合物（称为DDK，即DBF4依赖性激酶）来激活复制起点，磷酸化MCM（微小染色体维持蛋白）复合物中的MCM2-7亚基，从而促进复制前复合体（pre-RC）的激活和DNA解旋，确保细胞从G1期顺利进入S期。CDC7的功能特点是其活性高度依赖细胞周期，在G1/S转换时达到峰值，且其表达受E2F转录因子调控。若CDC7发生功能丧失性突变（如错义突变或缺失），会导致DNA复制受阻、细胞周期停滞在G1期，进而引发基因组不稳定性，甚至细胞凋亡；而CDC7的过度激活或过表达则可能引起复制应激（replication stress）和异常增殖，与多种癌症（如乳腺癌、结直肠癌）的发生密切相关。研究表明，CDC7在肿瘤组织中常高表达，其抑制剂（如XL413、TAK-931）正在作为抗癌药物研发。CDC7基因家族成员均含有保守的激酶结构域，并通过结合不同辅助因子（如DBF4的同源蛋白）调控下游靶标。降低CDC7表达会抑制细胞增殖并诱导衰老，而过表达可能绕过细胞周期检查点导致非整倍体（aneuploidy）。此外，CDC7还参与减数分裂和DNA损伤修复，其功能异常可能影响生殖细胞发育或增加辐射敏感性。目前CDC7的翻译名称较为统一，无显著争议。

该基因编码具有激酶活性的细胞分裂周期蛋白质是为G1 / S过渡的关键。酵母同源物也是DNA复制的起始细胞分裂发生是至关重要的。这种基因产物的过表达可以与用于某些肿瘤细胞恶性转化有关。已检测到的编码相同蛋白质的多个可变剪接转录物变体。 [由RefSeq的，2008年8月提供]

CDC7, encoding a highly conserved serine/threonine protein kinase, serves as a pivotal regulator of the eukaryotic cell cycle by orchestrating the initiation of DNA replication. As the catalytic subunit of the DBF4-dependent kinase (DDK) complex, CDC7 partners with the regulatory subunit DBF4 (also known as ASKL1) to phosphorylate the MCM2-7 helicase complex, thereby activating replication origins and facilitating the transition from the G1 to the S phase. This kinase activity is tightly coupled to cell cycle progression, peaking at the G1/S boundary under the transcriptional control of E2F factors, and is essential for the proper assembly and activation of the pre-replication complex. Disruption of CDC7 function through loss-of-function mutations leads to replication failure, G1 arrest, genomic instability, and apoptosis, whereas its overexpression or hyperactivation can bypass cell cycle checkpoints, induce replication stress, and promote aneuploidy, contributing to the pathogenesis of various malignancies including breast and colorectal cancers. Consequently, CDC7 is frequently overexpressed in tumor tissues, making it an attractive therapeutic target; small-molecule inhibitors such as XL413 and TAK-931 are currently under investigation for their potential to suppress tumor proliferation and induce senescence. Beyond its canonical role in mitotic DNA replication, CDC7 also participates in meiotic processes and DNA damage repair, where its dysfunction may compromise germ cell development and increase sensitivity to radiation, underscoring the gene's broad importance in maintaining genomic integrity across different cellular contexts.

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