Aurora A phosphorylation of TACC3/maskin is required for centrosome-dependent microtubule assembly in mitosis.
Centrosomes act as sites of microtubule growth, but little is known about how the number and stability of microtubules emanating from a centrosome are controlled during the cell cycle. We studied the role of the TACC3-XMAP215 complex in this process by using purified proteins and Xenopus laevis egg extracts. We show that TACC3 forms a one-to-one complex with and enhances the microtubule-stabilizing activity of XMAP215 in vitro. TACC3 enhances the number of microtubules emanating from mitotic centrosomes, and its targeting to centrosomes is regulated by Aurora A-dependent phosphorylation. We propose that Aurora A regulation of TACC3 activity defines a centrosome-specific mechanism for regulation of microtubule polymerization in mitosis.
Kinoshita
Kazuhisa
K
Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG), 01307 Dresden, Germany. kinoshita@mpi-cbg.de
Noetzel
Tim L
TL
Pelletier
Laurence
L
Mechtler
Karl
K
Drechsel
David N
DN
Schwager
Anne
A
Lee
Mike
M
Raff
Jordan W
JW
Hyman
Anthony A
AA
D000818:Animals; D064127:Aurora Kinases; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D002457:Cell Extracts; D018385:Centrosome / Q000502:physiology*; D016547:Kinesins / Q000378:metabolism; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D008870:Microtubules / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D008938:Mitosis; D009865:Oocytes / Q000737:chemistry; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000502:physiology*; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000502:physiology*; D029867:Xenopus Proteins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D014982:Xenopus laevis
C486738:CKAP5 protein, Xenopus; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D002457:Cell Extracts; C091489:KIF2C protein, human; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; C474872:TACC3 protein, Xenopus; D014157:Transcription Factors; D029867:Xenopus Proteins; D011494:Protein Kinases; C112134:AURKA protein, Xenopus; D064127:Aurora Kinases; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D016547:Kinesins