Ubiquitin-Mediated Degradation of Aurora Kinases.

Catherine Lindon,Mingwei Min,Rhys Grant

doi:10.3389/fonc.2015.00307

Catherine Lindon, Mingwei Min + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2015.00307

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Abstract

The Aurora kinases are essential regulators of mitosis in eukaryotes. In somatic cell divisions of higher eukaryotes, the paralogs Aurora kinase A (AurA) and Aurora kinase B (AurB) play non-overlapping roles that depend on their distinct spatiotemporal activities. These mitotic roles of Aurora kinases depend on their interactions with different partners that direct them to different mitotic destinations and different substrates: AurB is a component of the chromosome passenger complex that orchestrates the tasks of chromosome segregation and cytokinesis, while AurA has many known binding partners and mitotic roles, including a well-characterized interaction with TPX2 that mediates its role in mitotic spindle assembly. Beyond the spatial control conferred by different binding partners, Aurora kinases are subject to temporal control of their activation and inactivation. Ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis is a critical route to irreversible inactivation of these kinases, which must occur for ordered transition from mitosis back to interphase. Both AurA and AurB undergo targeted proteolysis after anaphase onset as substrates of the anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C) ubiquitin ligase, even while they continue to regulate steps during mitotic exit. Temporal control of Aurora kinase destruction ensures that AurB remains active at the midbody during cytokinesis long after AurA activity has been largely eliminated from the cell. Differential destruction of Aurora kinases is achieved despite the fact that they are targeted at the same time and by the same ubiquitin ligase, making these substrates an interesting case study for investigating molecular determinants of ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis in higher eukaryotes. The prevalence of Aurora overexpression in cancers and their potential as therapeutic targets add importance to the task of understanding the molecular determinants of Aurora kinase stability. Here, we review what is known about ubiquitin-mediated targeting of these critical mitotic regulators and discuss the different factors that contribute to proteolytic control of Aurora kinase activity in the cell.

Highlights

Aurora kinases are critical regulators of eukaryotic cell division
In contrast to the switch-like kinetics of Aurora kinase A (AurA)-Venus degradation, Aurora B (AurB)-Venus degradation progressed at a rate that was slow but constant – even when AurB-Venus levels were low (Figures 2A– C) – with the inference that degradation is governed by a ratelimiting step with low catalytic activity and high affinity of the rate-limiting enzyme for the substrate [75]. Since both substrates appear ubiquitinated to the same extent during mitotic exit [47, 76], we propose that this rate-limiting step in AurB degradation occurs post-ubiquitination
It has been shown that anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C)–Cdh1 assembly depends on prior anaphase Plk1 destruction [109], the exclusive targeting of Aurora kinases by Cdh1 imposes strict order on the destruction of these substrates; Plk1 ahead of AurA [16]

Summary

Introduction

Aurora kinases are critical regulators of eukaryotic cell division. Their structure, activities, and functions have been extensively reviewed elsewhere [1,2,3,4] and will be mentioned only briefly here. Aurora kinases are two such substrates whose targeting by the APC/C and its coactivator Cdh1 contributes to the correct dosing, timing, and localization of their activities [17, 19].

Results

Conclusion