Abstract
In vertebrates, the microtubule binding protein TPX2 is required for meiotic and mitotic spindle assembly. TPX2 is also known to bind to and activate Aurora A kinase and target it to the spindle. However, the relationship between the TPX2-Aurora A interaction and the role of TPX2 in spindle assembly is unclear. Here, we identify TPXL-1, a C. elegans protein that is the first characterized invertebrate ortholog of TPX2. We demonstrate that an essential role of TPXL-1 during mitosis is to activate and target Aurora A to microtubules. Our data suggest that this targeting stabilizes microtubules connecting kinetochores to the spindle poles. Thus, activation and targeting of Aurora A appears to be an ancient and conserved function of TPX2 that plays a central role in mitotic spindle assembly.
Publication types
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Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
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Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
MeSH terms
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Amino Acid Sequence
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Animals
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Aurora Kinases
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Caenorhabditis elegans / embryology
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Caenorhabditis elegans / genetics
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Caenorhabditis elegans / metabolism*
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Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / genetics
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Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / physiology*
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Carrier Proteins / genetics
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Carrier Proteins / physiology*
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Cell Cycle Proteins / genetics
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Cell Cycle Proteins / metabolism*
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Embryo, Nonmammalian / physiology
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Enzyme Activation
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Humans
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Kinetochores / physiology
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Microtubule-Associated Proteins / genetics
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Microtubules / physiology*
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Molecular Sequence Data
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Neoplasm Proteins / genetics
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Nuclear Proteins / genetics
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Phosphoproteins / genetics
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Protein Kinases / genetics
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Protein Kinases / metabolism*
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Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases
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Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
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Spindle Apparatus / genetics
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Spindle Apparatus / physiology*
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Xenopus Proteins / genetics
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Xenopus Proteins / metabolism*
Substances
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Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins
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Carrier Proteins
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Cell Cycle Proteins
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Microtubule-Associated Proteins
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Neoplasm Proteins
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Nuclear Proteins
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Phosphoproteins
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TPX2 protein, human
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TPXL-1 protein, C elegans
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Xenopus Proteins
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Protein Kinases
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AURKA protein, Xenopus
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Aurora Kinases
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Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases