Cell cycle control molecules called cyclins and cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdks) regulate the pace and sequence of the cell cycle. Cyclins fluctuate in concentration and bind to Cdk proteins to form active complexes that drive progression through specific cell cycle checkpoints. The first such complex discovered was mitosis promoting factor (MPF), which triggers passage from the G2 checkpoint to mitosis by phosphorylating proteins. MPF initiates mitosis and then switches itself off by activating enzymes that decrease cyclin levels. Cdks persist in inactive form until binding with new cyclins synthesized during interphase to start the next cell cycle round.