Cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5) is widely expressed although kinase activity has been described preferentially in neuronal systems. Cdk5 has an impact on actin polymerization during neuronal migration and neurite outgrowth and deregulation of the kinase has been implicated in the promotion of neurodegeneration. Recently it was shown that Cdk5 modulates dopamine signaling in neurons by regulating DARPP-32 function. In addition, Cdk5 phosphorylates munc-18 and synapsin I, two essential components of the exocytotic machinery. We have shown by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, immunocytochemistry, and Western blotting that Cdk5 is present in the insulin-secreting pancreatic -cell. Subcellular fractionation of isolated -cells revealed a glucose-induced translocation of membrane-bound Cdk5 protein to lower density fractions. Inhibition of Cdk5 with roscovitine reduced insulin secretion with ϳ35% compared with control after glucose stimulation and with ϳ65% after depolarization with glucose and KCl. Capacitance measurements performed on single -cells that expressed a dominantnegative Cdk5 mutant showed impaired exocytosis. The effect on exocytosis by Cdk5 appeared to be independent of changes in free cytoplasmic Ca 2؉ concentration. Taken together these results show that Cdk5 is present in -cells and acts as a positive regulator of insulin exocytosis.Insulin is stored in secretory granules in pancreatic -cells and upon stimulation with secretagogues insulin is released by exocytosis. Exocytosis has been suggested to be mediated by the same core fusion machinery that traverses intracellular membrane traffic in all cells (1-3). It was reported that the membrane fusion event required the N-ethylmaleimide sensitive factor (NSF), 1 and soluble NSF Attachment Proteins, ␣-, -, and ␥-SNAP (1, 2). In addition to NSF and SNAPs, a 7 S core complex with SNAp receptors or "SNARE" proteins corresponding to the vesicle component synaptobrevin/vesicular-associated membrane protein, as well as the plasma membrane proteins SNAP-25 (synaptosomal-associated protein of 25 kDa) and syntaxin were necessary for neuronal exocytosis (3). The SNARE hypothesis proposes that the SNARE proteins form trans-complexes between adjacent membranes, thereby forcing them to proximity. After association of ␣-SNAP, the ATPase NSF completes the reaction by disassembling the SNARE complex leading to membrane bilayer mixing (3). More recently, trans-SNARE pairing and NSF activity has been suggested to act either prior to docking of vesicles or after membrane bilayer mixing (4 -9). Initially the SNARE proteins were regarded as neuron-specific. However, syntaxin, SNAP-25, synaptobrevin/ vesicular-associated membrane protein, and other synaptic proteins regulating neuronal exocytosis have also been identified in pancreatic -cells, suggesting that the mechanism for insulin secretion is similar to that of neurotransmitter release from synaptic vesicles in neurons (10 -13). Regulated secretion of insulin from pancreatic -cells has to be tightl...