Aurora kinase B modulates chromosome alignment in mouse oocytes.

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Aurora kinase B modulates chromosome alignment in mouse oocytes.

Mol Reprod Dev. 2009 Nov;76(11):1094-105

Authors: Shuda K, Schindler K, Ma J, Schultz RM, Donovan PJ

Abstract
The elevated incidence of aneuploidy in human oocytes warrants study of the molecular mechanisms regulating proper chromosome segregation. The Aurora kinases are a well-conserved family of serine/threonine kinases that are involved in proper chromosome segregation during mitosis and meiosis. Here we report the expression and localization of all three Aurora kinase homologs, AURKA, AURKB, and AURKC, during meiotic maturation of mouse oocytes. AURKA, the most abundantly expressed homolog, localizes to the spindle poles during meiosis I (MI) and meiosis II (MII), whereas AURKB is concentrated at kinetochores, specifically at metaphase of MI (Met I). The germ cell-specific homolog, AURKC, is found along the entire length of chromosomes during both meiotic divisions. Maturing oocytes in the presence of the small molecule pan-Aurora kinase inhibitor, ZM447439 results in defects in meiotic progression and chromosome alignment at both Met I and Met II. Over-expression of AURKB, but not AURKA or AURKC, rescues the chromosome alignment defect suggesting that AURKB is the primary Aurora kinase responsible for regulating chromosome dynamics during meiosis in mouse oocytes.

PMID: 19565641 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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Aurora kinase family: a new target for anticancer drug.

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Aurora kinase family: a new target for anticancer drug.

Recent Pat Anticancer Drug Discov. 2008 Jun;3(2):114-22

Authors: Macarulla T, Ramos FJ, Tabernero J

Abstract
Aurora kinases (AK) are the name given to a family of Serine/threonine (Ser/Thr) protein kinases. These proteins represent a novel family of kinases crucial for cell cycle control. The cell division process is one of the hallmarks of every living organism. Within the complete cell-cycle process, mitosis constitutes one of the most critical steps. The main purpose of mitosis is to segregate sister chromatics into two daughters cells. It is a complex biologic process, and errors in this mechanism can lead to genomic instability, a condition associated with tumorigenesis. This process is tightly regulated by several proteins, some of them acting as check-points that ultimately ensure the correct temporal and spatial coordination of this critical biologic process. Among this network of mitotic regulators, AK play a critical role in cellular division by controlling chromatid segregation. Three AK family members have been identified in mammalian cells: A, B, and C. These proteins are implicated in several vital events in mitosis. In experimental models, overexpression of AK can induce spindle defects, chromosome mis-segregation, and malignant transformation. Conversely, downregulation of AK expression cause mitotic arrest and apoptosis in tumor cell lines. The expression levels of human AK are increased in certain types of cancer including breast, colon, pancreatic, ovarian, and gastric tumors. This observation has lent an interest to this family of kinases as potential drug targets for development of new anticancer therapies. This review focuses in recent progress in the role of AK in tumorogenesis and the development of new anticancer drug against AK proteins. This manuscript also includes some relevant patents as well.

PMID: 18537754 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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Requirement of aurora-A kinase in astral microtubule polymerization and spindle microtubule flux.

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Requirement of aurora-A kinase in astral microtubule polymerization and spindle microtubule flux.

Cell Cycle. 2008 Apr 15;7(8):1104-11

Authors: Wang LH, Yan M, Xu DZ, Cao JX, Zhu XF, Zeng YX, Liu Q

Abstract
Mitotic Aurora-A kinase was found to be required for formation of bipolar spindle, ensuring accurate chromosome segregation in mitosis. Recently, Aurora-A was shown to promote Ran-GTP-induced spindle formation and astral microtubule development. Here, by selective immunodepletion, we showed that Aurora-A was required for centrosome- but not Ran-GTP-induced astral microtubule formation in Xenopus egg extracts. Aurora-A enhanced microtubule polymerization in both centrosome- and Ran-GTP-induced aster assemblies: shortening the timing of aster assembly and increasing the aster size. Indeed, adding of Aurora-A protein alone induced microtubule clustering, which was abrogated by Aurora kinase inhibitory small molecule ZM447439. In addition, we showed that Aurora-A was indispensable for Ran-GTP-induced bipolar spindle formation. Inhibition of Aurora-A activity by adding of kinase inactive dominant mutant led to spindle collapse and formation of monopolar spindle whereas minus-end motor protein dynein/dynactin inhibitor p50/dynamitin rescued the bipolar structure. Lastly, we revealed that Aurora-A was necessary for microtubule poleward flux and this requirement depended on kinase activity. Thus, we showed that Aurora-A promoted microtubule polymerization and maintained microtubule flux in ensuring proper bipolar spindle assembly.

PMID: 18414060 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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Caffeine promotes apoptosis in mitotic spindle checkpoint-arrested cells.

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Caffeine promotes apoptosis in mitotic spindle checkpoint-arrested cells.

J Biol Chem. 2007 Mar 9;282(10):6954-64

Authors: Gabrielli B, Chau YQ, Giles N, Harding A, Stevens F, Beamish H

Abstract
The spindle assembly checkpoint arrests cells in mitosis when defects in mitotic spindle assembly or partitioning of the replicated genome are detected. This checkpoint blocks exit from mitosis until the defect is rectified or the cell initiates apoptosis. In this study we have used caffeine to identify components of the mechanism that signals apoptosis in mitotic checkpoint-arrested cells. Addition of caffeine to spindle checkpoint-arrested cells induced >40% apoptosis within 5 h. It also caused proteasome-mediated destruction of cyclin B1, a corresponding reduction in cyclin B1/cdk1 activity, and reduction in MPM-2 reactivity. However, cells retained MAD2 staining at the kinetochores, an indication of continued spindle checkpoint function. Blocking proteasome activity did not block apoptosis, but continued spindle checkpoint function was essential for apoptosis. After systematically eliminating all known targets, we have identified p21-activated kinase PAK1, which has an anti-apoptotic function in spindle checkpoint-arrested cells, as a target for caffeine inhibition. Knockdown of PAK1 also increased apoptosis in spindle checkpoint-arrested cells. This study demonstrates that the spindle checkpoint not only regulates mitotic exit but apoptosis in mitosis through the activity of PAK1.

PMID: 17182611 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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Aurora kinase inhibitor ZM447439 blocks chromosome-induced spindle assembly, the completion of chromosome condensation, and the establishment of the spindle integrity checkpoint in Xenopus egg extracts.

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Aurora kinase inhibitor ZM447439 blocks chromosome-induced spindle assembly, the completion of chromosome condensation, and the establishment of the spindle integrity checkpoint in Xenopus egg extracts.

Mol Biol Cell. 2005 Mar;16(3):1305-18

Authors: Gadea BB, Ruderman JV

Abstract
The Aurora family kinases contribute to accurate progression through several mitotic events. ZM447439 ("ZM"), the first Aurora family kinase inhibitor to be developed and characterized, was previously found to interfere with the mitotic spindle integrity checkpoint and chromosome segregation. Here, we have used extracts of Xenopus eggs, which normally proceed through the early embryonic cell cycles in the absence of functional checkpoints, to distinguish between ZM's effects on the basic cell cycle machinery and its effects on checkpoints. ZM clearly had no effect on either the kinetics or amplitude in the oscillations of activity of several key cell cycle regulators. It did, however, have striking effects on chromosome morphology. In the presence of ZM, chromosome condensation began on schedule but then failed to progress properly; instead, the chromosomes underwent premature decondensation during mid-mitosis. ZM strongly interfered with mitotic spindle assembly by inhibiting the formation of microtubules that are nucleated/stabilized by chromatin. By contrast, ZM had little effect on the assembly of microtubules by centrosomes at the spindle poles. Finally, under conditions where the spindle integrity checkpoint was experimentally induced, ZM blocked the establishment, but not the maintenance, of the checkpoint, at a point upstream of the checkpoint protein Mad2. These results show that Aurora kinase activity is required to ensure the maintenance of condensed chromosomes, the generation of chromosome-induced spindle microtubules, and activation of the spindle integrity checkpoint.

PMID: 15616188 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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Cell cycle dependent degradation of MCAK: evidence against a role in anaphase chromosome movement.

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Cell cycle dependent degradation of MCAK: evidence against a role in anaphase chromosome movement.

Cell Cycle. 2008 Oct;7(20):3187-93

Authors: Ganguly A, Bhattacharya R, Cabral F

Abstract
MCAK, a kinesin related motor protein with microtubule depolymerizing activity, is known to play an important role in spindle assembly and correcting errors in mitotic chromosome alignment. Experiments to determine how cellular levels of the protein are regulated demonstrate that MCAK accumulates during cell cycle progression, reaches a maximum at G(2)/M phase, and is rapidly degraded by the proteasome during mitosis. Immunofluorescence microscopy further indicates that MCAK largely disappears from kinetochores and spindle poles at the metaphase to anaphase transition. A phosphorylated form of MCAK appears during mitosis and seems to be preferentially degraded, but degradation does not appear to depend on Aurora B, a kinase reported to be involved in regulating the error correcting activity of the protein. These studies indicate that MCAK activity is limited during the latter stages of mitosis by protein degradation, and argue against a role for the protein in anaphase chromosome movement.

PMID: 18843200 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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The Ipl1/Aurora kinase family: methods of inhibition and functional analysis in mammalian cells.

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The Ipl1/Aurora kinase family: methods of inhibition and functional analysis in mammalian cells.

Methods Mol Biol. 2005;296:371-81

Authors: Ditchfield C, Keen N, Taylor SS

Abstract
The Ipl1/Aurora family of protein kinases are required for accurate chromosome segregation. Because members of this family are often overexpressed in human tumors, they have recently received much attention, both from the academic community and the pharmaceutical industry. Indeed, two small molecule Aurora kinase inhibitors have recently been described. In this chapter, we describe several methods for investigating the function of the Aurora kinases, focusing on Aurora B. We describe the use of the small-molecule inhibitor ZM447439, RNA interference, and overexpression of a catalytic mutant. All of these methods have proved useful in studying Aurora B as well as validating it as a potential anticancer drug target. However, while all three methods are useful for probing the function of Aurora B, each has inherent advantages and disadvantages. Furthermore, because the mechanism underlying the inhibition is different in each case, caution must be taken when interpreting the data.

PMID: 15576945 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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