Ser/Thr kinase involved in transcription and stress response; functions as part of a network of genes in exit from mitosis; localization is cell cycle regulated; activated by Cdc15p during the exit from mitosis; also plays a role in regulating the stability of SWI5 and CLB2 mRNAs; phosphorylates Chs2p to regulate primary septum formation and Hof1p to regulate cytokinesis; DBF2 has a paralog, DBF20, that arose from the whole genome duplication