title: Interaction of Aurora-A and centrosomin at the microtubule-nucleating site in Drosophila and mammalian cells.
abstract: 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 gamma-tubulin and other centrosomal components to the centrosome. The NH2-terminal half of CNN interacts with gamma-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 gamma-tubulin to the centrosome and organizing microtubule-nucleating sites via its interaction with the COOH-terminal sequence of CNN.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA. terad002@umn.edu
authors.forename: Yasuhiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Terada
authors.forename: Yumi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Uetake
authors.forename: Ryoko
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kuriyama
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D034961:Antigens, Nuclear / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D064127:Aurora Kinases; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D002460:Cell Line; D006224:Cricetinae; D004330:Drosophila / Q000378:metabolism*; D008870:Microtubules / Q000378:metabolism*; D011485:Protein Binding; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D034622:RNA Interference; D008941:Spindle Apparatus / Q000378:metabolism; D014404:Tubulin / Q000378:metabolism; D020798:Two-Hybrid System Techniques; D029867:Xenopus Proteins
chemical_list: D034961:Antigens, Nuclear; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D014404:Tubulin; D029867:Xenopus Proteins; C069516:centrosomin A; D011494:Protein Kinases; C112134:AURKA protein, Xenopus; D064127:Aurora Kinases; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases