The emerging roles of the CDK/cyclin complexes in antiviral innate immunity

More than 20 members of the human cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) family share the feature of being activated by cyclins. CDKs have been involved in diverse biological processes, such as cell cycle, transcription, DNA damage response, and apoptosis. If CDKs are not properly regulated, they can cause diseases like cancer. CDKs are Ser/Thr kinases that work with cyclins to control cell cycle progression. Various CDK-cyclin complexes phosphorylate particular target proteins and drive different cell cycle stages. Accumulating evidence demonstrated that CDKs play an essential role in the cell cycle; however, their roles in antiviral innate immunity are just emerging. This minireview summarizes how CDKs play their roles in antiviral innate immunity. Our goal is to draw attention to the involvement of CDKs in antiviral innate immunity, whether as separate entities or as components of CDK/cyclin complexes that have gotten less attention in the past.