Cancer Institute A national cancer institute
designated cancer center

Guowei Fang

Publication Details

  • Bora and the kinase Aurora a cooperatively activate the kinase Plk1 and control mitotic entry.

    Seki A, Coppinger JA, Jang CY, Yates JR, Fang G. Science. 2008; 320 (5883): 1655-8

    A central question in the study of cell proliferation is, what controls cell-cycle transitions? Although the accumulation of mitotic cyclins drives the transition from the G2 phase to the M phase in embryonic cells, the trigger for mitotic entry in somatic cells remains unknown. We report that the synergistic action of Bora and the kinase Aurora A (Aur-A) controls the G2-M transition. Bora accumulates in the G2 phase and promotes Aur-A-mediated activation of Polo-like kinase 1 (Plk1), leading to the activation of cyclin-dependent kinase 1 and mitotic entry. Mechanistically, Bora interacts with Plk1 and controls the accessibility of its activation loop for phosphorylation and activation by Aur-A. Thus, Bora and Aur-A control mitotic entry, which provides a mechanism for one of the most important yet ill-defined events in the cell cycle.

    PubMedID: 18566290

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