title: Aurora-A phosphorylates, activates, and relocalizes the small GTPase RalA.
abstract: The small GTPase Ras, which transmits extracellular signals to the cell, and the kinase Aurora-A, which promotes proper mitosis, can both be inappropriately activated in human tumors. Here, we show that Aurora-A in conjunction with oncogenic Ras enhances transformed cell growth. Furthermore, such transformation and in some cases also tumorigenesis depend upon S194 of RalA, a known Aurora-A phosphorylation site. Aurora-A promotes not only RalA activation but also translocation from the plasma membrane and activation of the effector protein RalBP1. Taken together, these data suggest that Aurora-A may converge upon oncogenic Ras signaling through RalA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA.
authors.forename: Kian-Huat
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Donita C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Brady
authors.forename: David F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Kashatus
authors.forename: Brooke B
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Ancrile
authors.forename: Channing J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Der
authors.forename: Adrienne D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Cox
authors.forename: Christopher M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Counter
mesh_terms: D018528:ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D064096:Aurora Kinase A; D064127:Aurora Kinases; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D020690:GTPase-Activating Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D016513:Mice, SCID; D009154:Mutation; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D023041:Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays; D020725:ral GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D018631:ras Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D018528:ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters; D020690:GTPase-Activating Proteins; C095637:RALBP1 protein, human; C576918:Aurka protein, mouse; D064096:Aurora Kinase A; D064127:Aurora Kinases; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; C492198:RALA protein, human; D020725:ral GTP-Binding Proteins; D018631:ras Proteins