Checkpoints help in the prevention of genetic damage by giving cells time to repair damaged structures before proceeding in the cell cycle. Genetic analyses in budding and fission yeast have identified a large number of cell cycle checkpoint genes. Several of these encode proteins related to components of other signal transduction pathways, including protein kinases, lipid kinases, and 14-3-3 proteins. In fission yeast, checkpoints play an important role in keeping cells from entering mitosis before they pass Start.