Redox priming promotes Aurora A activation during mitosis

Cell cycle–dependent redox changes can mediate transient covalent modifications of cysteine thiols to modulate the activities of regulatory kinases and phosphatases. Our previously reported finding that protein cysteine oxidation is increased during mitosis relative to other cell cycle phases suggests that redox modifications could play prominent roles in regulating mitotic processes. The Aurora family of kinases and their downstream targets are key components of the cellular machinery that ensures the proper execution of mitosis and the accurate segregation of chromosomes to daughter cells. In this study, x-ray crystal structures of the Aurora A kinase domain delineate redox-sensitive cysteine residues that, upon covalent modification, can allosterically regulate kinase activity and oligomerization state. We showed in both Xenopus laevis egg extracts and mammalian cells that a conserved cysteine residue within the Aurora A activation loop is crucial for Aurora A activation by autophosphorylation. We further showed that covalent disulfide adducts of this residue promote autophosphorylation of the Aurora A kinase domain. These findings reveal a potential mechanistic link between Aurora A activation and changes in the intracellular redox state during mitosis and provide insights into how novel small-molecule inhibitors may be developed to target specific subpopulations of Aurora A.

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Aurora-A kinase interacting protein 1 (AURKAIP1) promotes Aurora-A degradation through an alternative ubiquitin-independent pathway

Biochemical Journal ◽

10.1042/bj20061272 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 403 (1) ◽

pp. 119-127 ◽

Cited By ~ 33

Author(s):

Shen Kiat Lim ◽

Ganesan Gopalan

Keyword(s):

Cell Cycle ◽

Alternative Pathway ◽

Chinese Hamster ◽

Cellular Transformation ◽

Ovary Cell ◽

Restrictive Temperature ◽

Aurora A Kinase ◽

Aurora A ◽

Interacting Protein ◽

Cycle Dependent

Mitotic Aurora-A is an oncogene, which undergoes a cell-cycle-dependent regulation of both its synthesis and degradation. Overexpression of Aurora-A leads to aneuploidy and cellular transformation in cultured cells. It has been shown that the cell-cycle-dependent turnover of Aurora-A is mediated by Cdh1 (CDC20 homologue 1) through the anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C)–ubiquitin–proteasome pathway. We have described previously the identification of an Aurora-A kinase interacting protein, AURKAIP1 (formerly described as AIP), which is also involved in the destabilization of Aurora-A through the proteasome-dependent degradation pathway. In an attempt to investigate the mechanism of AURKAIP1-mediated Aurora-A degradation, we report here that AURKAIP1 targets Aurora-A for degradation in a proteasome-dependent but Ub (ubiquitin)-independent manner. AURKAIP1 inhibits polyubiquitination of Aurora-A. A non-interactive AURKAIP1 mutant that cannot destabilize Aurora-A restores ubiquitination of Aurora-A. An A-box mutant of Aurora-A, which cannot be targeted for proteasome-dependent degradation by Cdh1, can still be degraded by AURKAIP1. Inhibition of cellular ubiquitination either by expression of dominant negative Ub mutants or by studies in ts-20 (temperature sensitive-20) CHO (Chinese-hamster ovary) cell line lacking the E1 Ub activating enzyme at the restrictive temperature, cannot abolish AURKAIP1-mediated degradation of Aurora-A. AURKAIP1 specifically decreases the stability of Aurora-A in ts-20 CHO cells at the restrictive temperature, while cyclinB1 and p21 are not affected. This demonstrates that there exists an Ub-independent alternative pathway for Aurora-A degradation and AURKAIP1 promotes Aurora-A degradation through this Ub-independent yet proteasome-dependent pathway.

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Cell cycle-dependent effects on deoxyribonucleotide and DNA labeling by nucleoside precursors in mammalian cells.

Molecular and Cellular Biology ◽

10.1128/mcb.7.1.532 ◽

1987 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

pp. 532-534 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

J M Leeds ◽

C K Mathews

Keyword(s):

Cell Cycle ◽

Mammalian Cells ◽

Chinese Hamster Ovary Cells ◽

Chinese Hamster ◽

G1 Phase ◽

Ovary Cells ◽

Dna Labeling ◽

Metabolic Pool ◽

Specific Activities ◽

Cycle Dependent

dCTP pools equilibrated to equivalent specific activities in Chinese hamster ovary cells or in nuclei after incubation of cells with radiolabeled nucleosides, indicating that dCTP in nuclei does not constitute a distinct metabolic pool. In the G1 phase, [5-3H]deoxycytidine labeled dCTP to unexpectedly high specific activities. This may explain reports of replication-excluded DNA precursor pools.

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E2F activity is regulated by cell cycle-dependent changes in subcellular localization.

Molecular and Cellular Biology ◽

10.1128/mcb.17.12.7268 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 17 (12) ◽

pp. 7268-7282 ◽

Cited By ~ 142

Author(s):

R Verona ◽

K Moberg ◽

S Estes ◽

M Starz ◽

J P Vernon ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cell Cycle ◽

Subcellular Localization ◽

Nuclear Localization ◽

Mammalian Cells ◽

Critical Role ◽

Biological Properties ◽

Dependent Manner ◽

Restriction Point ◽

Cycle Dependent ◽

Almost All

E2F directs the cell cycle-dependent expression of genes that induce or regulate the cell division process. In mammalian cells, this transcriptional activity arises from the combined properties of multiple E2F-DP heterodimers. In this study, we show that the transcriptional potential of individual E2F species is dependent upon their nuclear localization. This is a constitutive property of E2F-1, -2, and -3, whereas the nuclear localization of E2F-4 is dependent upon its association with other nuclear factors. We previously showed that E2F-4 accounts for the majority of endogenous E2F species. We now show that the subcellular localization of E2F-4 is regulated in a cell cycle-dependent manner that results in the differential compartmentalization of the various E2F complexes. Consequently, in cycling cells, the majority of the p107-E2F, p130-E2F, and free E2F complexes remain in the cytoplasm. In contrast, almost all of the nuclear E2F activity is generated by pRB-E2F. This complex is present at high levels during G1 but disappears once the cells have passed the restriction point. Surprisingly, dissociation of this complex causes little increase in the levels of nuclear free E2F activity. This observation suggests that the repressive properties of the pRB-E2F complex play a critical role in establishing the temporal regulation of E2F-responsive genes. How the differential subcellular localization of pRB, p107, and p130 contributes to their different biological properties is also discussed.

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Cell cycle-dependent localization of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II in mammalian cells

The Japanese Journal of Pharmacology ◽

10.1016/s0021-5198(19)55086-7 ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 52 ◽

pp. 86

Author(s):

Yasutaka Ohta ◽

Takashi Ohba ◽

Eishichi Miyamoto

Keyword(s):

Cell Cycle ◽

Protein Kinase ◽

Mammalian Cells ◽

Dependent Protein Kinase ◽

Protein Kinase Ii ◽

Dependent Protein ◽

Cycle Dependent

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Cell Cycle-Dependent Flagellar Disassembly in a Firebug Trypanosomatid Leptomonas pyrrhocoris

mBio ◽

10.1128/mbio.02424-19 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 10 (6) ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Cynthia Y. He ◽

Adarsh Singh ◽

Vyacheslav Yurchenko

Keyword(s):

Cell Cycle ◽

Growth Rate ◽

Mammalian Cells ◽

Current Understanding ◽

Model Organisms ◽

Regulation Mechanism ◽

Length Variation ◽

Content Type ◽

Length Regulation ◽

Cycle Dependent

ABSTRACT Current understanding of flagellum/cilium length regulation focuses on a few model organisms with flagella of uniform length. Leptomonas pyrrhocoris is a monoxenous trypanosomatid parasite of firebugs. When cultivated in vitro, L. pyrrhocoris duplicates every 4.2 ± 0.2 h, representing the shortest doubling time reported for trypanosomatids so far. Each L. pyrrhocoris cell starts its cell cycle with a single flagellum. A new flagellum is assembled de novo, while the old flagellum persists throughout the cell cycle. The flagella in an asynchronous L. pyrrhocoris population exhibited a vast length variation of ∼3 to 24 μm, casting doubt on the presence of a length regulation mechanism based on a single balance point between the assembly and disassembly rate in these cells. Through imaging of live L. pyrrhocoris cells, a rapid, partial disassembly of the existing, old flagellum is observed upon, if not prior to, the initial assembly of a new flagellum. Mathematical modeling demonstrated an inverse correlation between the flagellar growth rate and flagellar length and inferred the presence of distinct, cell cycle-dependent disassembly mechanisms with different rates. On the basis of these observations, we proposed a min-max model that could account for the vast flagellar length range observed for asynchronous L. pyrrhocoris. This model may also apply to other flagellated organisms with flagellar length variation. IMPORTANCE Current understanding of flagellum biogenesis during the cell cycle in trypanosomatids is limited to a few pathogenic species, including Trypanosoma brucei, Trypanosoma cruzi, and Leishmania spp. The most notable characteristics of trypanosomatid flagella studied so far are the extreme stability and lack of ciliary disassembly/absorption during the cell cycle. This is different from cilia in Chlamydomonas and mammalian cells, which undergo complete absorption prior to cell cycle initiation. In this study, we examined flagellum duplication during the cell cycle of Leptomonas pyrrhocoris. With the shortest duplication time documented for all Trypanosomatidae and its amenability to culture on agarose gel with limited mobility, we were able to image these cells through the cell cycle. Rapid, cell cycle-specific flagellum disassembly different from turnover was observed for the first time in trypanosomatids. Given the observed length-dependent growth rate and the presence of different disassembly mechanisms, we proposed a min-max model that can account for the flagellar length variation observed in L. pyrrhocoris.

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Analysis of Aurora Kinase Expressions and Cell Cycle Regulation by Aurora-C in Leukemia Cells.

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v108.11.1366.1366 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 108 (11) ◽

pp. 1366-1366 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Miki Kobayashi ◽

Satoki Nakamura ◽

Takaaki Ono ◽

Yuya Sugimoto ◽

Naohi Sahara ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cell Cycle ◽

Western Blot ◽

Cell Lines ◽

Mammalian Cells ◽

Cell Cycle Progression ◽

Leukemia Cell ◽

Leukemia Cells ◽

Human Leukemia ◽

Aurora A ◽

Aurora Kinases

Abstract Background: The conserved Aurora family kinases, a family of mitotic serine/threonine kinases, have three members (Aurora-A, -B and -C) in mammalian cells. The Aurora kinases are involved in the regulation of cell cycle progression, and alterations in their expression have been shown to associate with cell malignant transformation. Aurora A localizes to the centrosomes during anaphase, and it is required for mitotic entry. Aurora B regulates the formation of a stable bipolar spindle-kinetochore attachment in mitosis. The function of Aurora-C in mammalian cells has not been studied extensively. In this study, we investigated that human leukemia cells expressed all 3 Aurora kinases at both protein and mRNA level, and the mechanisms of cell cycle regulation by knock down of Aurora C in leukemia cells. Methods: In this study, we used the 7 human leukemia cell lines, K562, NB4, HL60, U937, CEM, MOLT4, SUP-B15 cells. The expression levels of mRNA and proteins of Aurora kinases were evaluated by RT-PCR and western blot. The analysis of proliferation and cell cycle were performed by MTT assay and FCM, respectively. Results: The mRNA of Aurora-A and Aurora-B are highly expressed in human leukemia cell lines (K562, NB4, HL60, U937, CEM, MOLT4, SUP-B15 cells), while the mRNA of Aurora C is not only expressed highly in all cells. In contrast, an increase in the protein level of the 3 kinases was found in all cell lines. These observations suggested posttranscriptional mechanisms, which modulate the expression of Aurora C. In cell cycle analysis by flow cytometory, the knock down of Aurora C by siRNA induced G0/G1 arrest and apoptosis in leukemia cells, and increased the protein levels of p27Kip1 and decreased Skp2 by western blot. In MTT assay, it was revealed that the growth inhibition of leukemia cells transfected with siRNA Aurora C compared with leukemia cells untransfected with siRNA Aurora C. Moreover, We showed that Aurora C was associated with Survivin and directly bound to Survivin by immunoprecipitation and western blot. Conclusion: We found that human leukemia cells expressed all 3 members of the Aurora kinase family. These results suggest that the Aurora kinases may play a relevant role in leukemia cells. Among these Aurora kinases, Aurora C interacted with Survivin and prevented apoptosis of leukemia cells, and induced cell cycle progression. Our results showed that Aurora-C may serve as a key regulator in cell division and survival. These results suggest that the Aurora C kinase may play an important role in leukemia cells, and may represent a target for leukemia therapy.

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Combined Inhibition of Janus and Aurora Kinases by the Novel Small Molecule Inhibitor AZD1480 Induces Cell Death and Downregulates PD-L1 and PD-L2 Expression In Hodgkin Lymphoma

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v116.21.2848.2848 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 116 (21) ◽

pp. 2848-2848

Author(s):

Enrico Derenzini ◽

Daniela Buglio ◽

Hiroshi Katayama ◽

Yuan Ji ◽

Subrata Sen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cell Cycle ◽

Cell Proliferation ◽

Cell Death ◽

Cell Lines ◽

Immune Escape ◽

Aurora A Kinase ◽

Aurora A ◽

Aurora Kinases ◽

Mitotic Block ◽

Dose Dependent

Abstract Abstract 2848 Hodgkin Lymphoma (HL) cell proliferation and survival is sustained by a complex network of cytokine signaling, involving the Hodgkin and Reed-Sternberg cells and tumor microenvironment. Following cytokine stimulation, JAK-STAT activation promotes the transcription of target genes involved in proliferation, survival, and immune escape. Programmed Death-ligands 1 and 2 (PD-L1 and PD-L2) and the Th2 chemokine TARC are immune-modulators involved in immune evasion, respectively through inhibition of effector T cell function (PD-L1, PD-L2) and attraction and homing of Th2 cells (TARC). Aurora kinases are frequently overexpressed in human cancers and play essential functions in chromosome alignment and cytokinesis. The role of Aurora kinases in Hodgkin lymphomagenesis is not defined yet. In this study we report the activity profile of the JAK2 inhibitor AZD1480 in HL cell lines (HD-LM2, L-428, KM-H2, L-540). To assess the effect of AZD1480 on cell proliferation, cells were incubated with increasing concentrations of AZD1480 (from 0.1 to 10 μM) for 24, 48 and 72 hours (hrs). A significant growth inhibition was evident after 72 hrs of incubation, specially using the high doses of AZD1480 (5μM). The L-540 cell line showed the highest sensitivity, with a decrease in cell viability close to 50% following incubation with AZD1480 1μM. Inhibition of STAT3, STAT5 and STAT6 phosphorylation in the L-540, L-428 and HD-LM2 cell lines was observed with concentrations equal to 0.1 μM or higher. Using Annexin V- propidium iodide staining, we found that AZD1480 induced cell death by apoptosis in a dose dependent manner after 72 hrs of incubation when a high concentration (5μM) of the drug was used. Lower concentrations of AZD1480 (1μM) promoted a statistically significant increase in cell death only in the L-540 and to a lesser extent in the L-428 cell line. Consistent with this data, also caspase 9, 3 and PARP cleavage was observed in all the cell lines exposed to AZD1480 5 μM. AZD1480 5μM promoted a marked increase in the G2/M fraction in all the cell lines as soon as 24 hrs after incubation, especially in the HD-LM2 and L-428 cell lines. Treatment with lower doses (1μM) did not affect significantly the cell cycle. Since AZD1480 was also reported to inhibit Aurora A kinase at nanomolar concentrations in enzymatic assays, we assessed if the significant increase in the G2/M fraction was related to the inhibition of the Aurora A kinase. We evaluated the levels of autophosphorylation on Thr-288 by western blotting. Cells were pretreated with Nocodazole 400 ng/ml for 18 hrs in order to achieve a mitotic block, and then exposed to AZD1480 (1-5μM) and/or the proteasome inhibitor MG132 (20μM) (in order to prevent the potential overriding of the Nocodazole induced mitotic block), for 3 hours. A dose-dependent inhibition of Aurora A was detected in all the cell lines, with a complete abrogation when higher doses of AZD1480 were used (5μM). These findings are consistent with the analysis of the cell cycle fractions, showing dose-dependent changes of the cell cycle at 24 hrs following incubation with AZD1480. AZD1480 also decreased the secretion of key cytokines involved autocrine and paracrine survival loops and immune escape. Following incubation with AZD1480 1μM for 72 hrs cell culture supernatants were analyzed by ELISA: decreased levels of IL-6, IL-13, TARC, and IL-21 were observed in HD-LM2, L-428 and L-540 cells. Moreover we assessed the expression of PD-L1 and PD-L2 by flow cytometry and observed significant downregulation in the PD-L1/PD-L2 overexpressing cell lines (L-540 and HD-LM2). These data suggest that AZD1480 has a pleiotropic mechanism of action in HL by targeting the JAK-STAT and the Aurora kinase pathway, and by altering the pattern of cytokine and chemokine secretion and the expression of factors involved in immune escape. Our study provides the rationale for further clinical investigation of AZD1480 in HL. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

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Interaction of Aurora-A and centrosomin at the microtubule-nucleating site in Drosophila and mammalian cells

The Journal of Cell Biology ◽

10.1083/jcb.200305048 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 162 (5) ◽

pp. 757-764 ◽

Cited By ~ 83

Author(s):

Yasuhiko Terada ◽

Yumi Uetake ◽

Ryoko Kuriyama

Keyword(s):

Mammalian Cells ◽

Aurora A Kinase ◽

Aurora A ◽

Mitotic Spindles ◽

Microtubule Nucleation ◽

Microtubule Organization ◽

Centrosomal Protein ◽

Spindle Poles

A mitosis-specific Aurora-A kinase has been implicated in microtubule organization and spindle assembly in diverse organisms. However, exactly how Aurora-A controls the microtubule nucleation onto centrosomes is unknown. Here, we show that Aurora-A specifically binds to the COOH-terminal domain of a Drosophila centrosomal protein, centrosomin (CNN), which has been shown to be important for assembly of mitotic spindles and spindle poles. Aurora-A and CNN are mutually dependent for localization at spindle poles, which is required for proper targeting of γ-tubulin and other centrosomal components to the centrosome. The NH2-terminal half of CNN interacts with γ-tubulin, and induces cytoplasmic foci that can initiate microtubule nucleation in vivo and in vitro in both Drosophila and mammalian cells. These results suggest that Aurora-A regulates centrosome assembly by controlling the CNN's ability to targeting and/or anchoring γ-tubulin to the centrosome and organizing microtubule-nucleating sites via its interaction with the COOH-terminal sequence of CNN.

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