AURKA AIK ARK1 AURA BTAK STK15 STK6 Serine/threonine-protein kinase 6 Breast tumor-amplified kinase
Molecular Weight(MW)
45809 Da
Function
Mitotic serine/threonine kinases that contributes to the regulation of cell cycle progression. Associates with the centrosome and the spindle microtubules during mitosis and plays a critical role in various mitotic events including the establishment of mitotic spindle, centrosome duplication, centrosome separation as well as maturation, chromosomal alignment, spindle assembly checkpoint, and cytokinesis. Required for initial activation of CDK1 at centrosomes. Phosphorylates numerous target proteins, including ARHGEF2, BORA, BRCA1, CDC25B, DLGP5, HDAC6, KIF2A, LATS2, NDEL1, PARD3, PPP1R2, PLK1, RASSF1, TACC3, p53/TP53 and TPX2. Regulates KIF2A tubulin depolymerase activity. Required for normal axon formation. Plays a role in microtubule remodeling during neurite extension. Important for microtubule formation and/or stabilization. Also acts as a key regulatory component of the p53/TP53 pathway, and particularly the checkpoint-response pathways critical for oncogenic transformation of cells, by phosphorylating and stabilizing p53/TP53 Phosphorylates its own inhibitors, the protein phosphatase type 1 (PP1) isoforms, to inhibit their activity. Necessary for proper cilia disassembly prior to mitosis
Tissue Specificity
Highly expressed in testis and weakly in skeletal muscle, thymus and spleen. Also highly expressed in colon, ovarian, prostate, neuroblastoma, breast and cervical cancer cell lines
Cellular Localization
Cytoplasm, cytoskeleton, centrosome. Cytoplasm, cytoskeleton, spindle pole. Note=Detected at the neurite hillock in developing neurons (By similarity). Localizes at the centrosome in mitotic cells from early prophase until telophase, but also localizes to the spindle pole MTs from prophase to anaphase. Moves to the midbody during both telophase and cytokinesis. Associates with both the pericentriolar material (PCM) and centrioles