Project description:The family of AURORA kinases is essential for cell cycle progression and dysregulation of AURORA-A in cancer led to a large number of clinical and pre-clinical inhibitors. However, ATP competitive AURORA-A inhibitors usually do not target non-catalytic functions that have also been identified as mechanisms promoting tumorigenesis. To target non-catalytic as well as catalytic functions, we developed a series of PROTACs (PROteolysis targeting chimeras) based on the selective AURORA-A kinase inhibitor MK-5108 (VX-689) and the CEREBLON E3-ligase ligands. The most potent PROTAC, JB301, had good physicochemical properties and cell penetration resulting in degradation of AURORA-A in leukemic cells at single digit nM concentration. In the presented datasets, we determined the intracellular degradation specificity of the AURKA PROTAC JB300. We therefore treated MV4-11 cells with JB300 and the corresponding ligand MK-5108, or DMSO and quantified the induced degradation using a label free approach.
Project description:The mitotic kinase Aurora-A is essential for cell cycle progression and considered a priority cancer target. Dozens of ongoing clinical trials are testing the anti-cancer potential of Aurora-A kinase inhibitors. While the catalytic activity of Aurora-A is essential for its function during mitosis, a growing body of evidence indicates an additional non-catalytic function, which is difficult to target by kinase inhibitors. We therefor developed a series of degrader molecules by connecting a kinase inhibitor of Aurora-A to the Cereblon-binding molecule thalidomide. One degrader, JB170, induced the rapid degradation of Aurora-A. We were able to show that JB170 mediated depletion is highly specific for Aurora-A, as degrader mediated complex formation is supported by cooperative binding between Cereblon and Aurora-A. Strikingly, JB-170 mediated depletion caused a strong S-phase arrest, which is not the cell cycle effect observed as a result of Aurora-A kinase inhibition, supporting an important non-catalytic role of Aurora-A during DNA replication. Finally, depletion of Aurora-A resulted in strong induction of apoptosis in various cancer cell lines. The tool compound JB170 presents a versatile starting point for developing new therapeutic drugs to counter Aurora-A function in cancer. In the presented datasets, we determined i) the binding selectivity profile of the Aurora-A PROTAC (JB170) using Kinobeads affinity matrix and ii) its intracellular degradation specificity. We therefore treated IMR5 cells with JB170, the inactive version JB211, or Alisertib and quantified the induced degradation using tandem mass tags.
Project description:U-2 OS (human osteosarcoma cell line) were treated with ZM447439 (an aurora kinase inhibitor), SB202190 (a p38 inhibitor) or ZM447439+SB202190 and resulting changes in gene expression were profiled.
Project description:Mitotic catastrophe (MC) is an important mechanism to remove cells that become polyploid or aneuploid, as an oncosuppressive mechanism. Previous studies have demonstrated that the activation and catalytic function of caspase-2 is a key step in MC, to trigger apoptosis and/or cell cycle arrest of such defective cells. However, the molecular mechanisms that regulate caspase-2 activation and its function are unclear. Here we show that Aurora kinase B (AURKB), a key mitotic kinase, phosphorylates caspase-2 at a highly conserved residue S384 and inhibits its catalytic activity and function. We identified six new phosphorylation sites in caspase-2 and further demonstrated that phosphorylation at S384 blocks caspase-2 catalytic activity and apoptosis function in response to mitotic insults, without affecting caspase-2 dimerisation. Moreover, molecular modelling suggests that phosphorylation at S384 may affect substrate binding by caspase-2. We propose that caspase-2 S384 phosphorylation by AURKB is a key mechanism that controls caspase-2 activation during mitosis.
Project description:Cutaneous T-cell lymphomas form a heterogeneous group of non-Hodgkin lymphomas characterized by only poor prognosis in advanced stage. Despite significant progress made in the identification of novel genes and pathways involved in the pathogenesis of cutaneous lymphoma, the therapeutic value of these findings has still to be proven. Here, we demonstrate by gene expression arrays that aurora kinase A is one of highly overexpressed genes of the serine/threonine kinase in CTCL. The finding was confirmed by qualitative RT-PCR, Western blotting and immunohistochemistry in CTCL cell lines and primary patient samples. Moreover, treatment with a specific aurora kinase A inhibitor blocks cell proliferation by inducing cell cycle arrest in G2 phase as well as apoptosis in CTCL cell lines. These new data provide a promising rationale for using aurora kinase A inhibition as a therapeutic modality of CTCL. 14 lesional skin biopsies of different MF patients (patch=3, plaque=6, tumor=4) and 9 healthy controls. Comparison between Cutaneus Tcell Lymphoma Samples and Healthy Control Tissue
Project description:The mitotic kinase AURORA-A is essential for cell cycle progression and is considered a priority cancer target. Although the catalytic activity of AURORA-A is essential for its mitotic function, recent reports indicate an additional non-catalytic function, which is difficult to target by conventional small molecules. We therefore developed a series of chemical degraders (PROTACs) by connecting a clinical kinase inhibitor of AURORA-A to E3 ligase-binding molecules (for example, thalidomide). One degrader induced rapid, durable and highly specific degradation of AURORA-A. In addition, we found that the degrader complex was stabilized by cooperative binding between AURORA-A and CEREBLON. Degrader-mediated AURORA-A depletion caused an S-phase defect, which is not the cell cycle effect observed upon kinase inhibition, supporting an important non-catalytic function of AURORA-A during DNA replication. AURORA-A degradation induced rampant apoptosis in cancer cell lines and thus represents a versatile starting point for developing new therapeutics to counter AURORA-A function in cancer.
Project description:We performed next-generation sequencing of RNA to determine the transcriptional changes in hyperplastic mutant p53 skin after the epithelial deletion of the AURORA-A Kinase gene in mice.
Project description:Genomic alterationsin murine skin Squamous Cell Carcinoma(SCC) generated were analyzed from mice that expressed human Aurora Kinase A under control of Keratin 14 driven and RU486 inducible GLP65 activator protein. Monogenic GLP65 (control) and bigenic GLP65; Aurora-A mice were treated with DMBA once and thrice per week with TPA and RU486 to generate SCCs.
Project description:Cutaneous T-cell lymphomas form a heterogeneous group of non-Hodgkin lymphomas characterized by only poor prognosis in advanced stage. Despite significant progress made in the identification of novel genes and pathways involved in the pathogenesis of cutaneous lymphoma, the therapeutic value of these findings has still to be proven. Here, we demonstrate by gene expression arrays that aurora kinase A is one of highly overexpressed genes of the serine/threonine kinase in CTCL. The finding was confirmed by qualitative RT-PCR, Western blotting and immunohistochemistry in CTCL cell lines and primary patient samples. Moreover, treatment with a specific aurora kinase A inhibitor blocks cell proliferation by inducing cell cycle arrest in G2 phase as well as apoptosis in CTCL cell lines. These new data provide a promising rationale for using aurora kinase A inhibition as a therapeutic modality of CTCL.