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Characterization of plant Aurora kinases during mitosis

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Abstract

The Aurora kinase family is a well-characterized serine/threonine protein kinase family that regulates different processes of mitotic events. Although functions of animal and yeast Aurora kinases have been analyzed, plant aurora kinases were not identified and characterized. We identified three Aurora kinase orthologs in Arabidopsis thaliana and designated these as AtAUR1, AtAUR2, and AtAUR3. These AtAURs could phosphorylate serine 10 in histone H3, in vitro. Dynamic analyses of GFP-fused AtAUR proteins revealed that AtAUR1 and AtAUR2 localized at the nuclear membrane in interphase and located in mitotic spindles during cell division. AtAUR1 also localized in the cell plates. AtAUR3 showed dot-like distribution on condensed chromosomes at prophase and then localized at the metaphase plate. At late anaphase, AtAUR3 is evenly localized on chromosomes. The localization of AtAUR3 during mitosis is very similar to that of phosphorylated histone H3. Interestingly, an overexpression of AtAUR3 induces disassembly of spindle microtubules and alteration of orientation of cell division. Our results indicate that plant Aurora kinases have different characters from that of Aurora kinases of other eukaryotes.

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Abbreviations

BY-2:

Bright yellow 2

CBB:

Coomassie brilliant blue

DAPI:

4′-6-diamidino-2-phenylindole

FITC:

fluorescein isothiocyanate

GFP:

green fluorescence protein

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Author notes

  1. Akira Kawabe

    Present address: Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3JT, UK

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamadaoka, 565-0871, Suita, Osaka, Japan

    Akira Kawabe, Sachihiro Matsunaga, Katsuyuki Nakagawa, Daisuke Kurihara, Susumu Uchiyama & Kiichi Fukui

  2. Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, University of Tokyo, FSB-701, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, 277-8562, Kashiwa, Chiba, Japan

    Arata Yoneda & Seiichiro Hasezawa

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  1. Akira Kawabe
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  2. Sachihiro Matsunaga
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Correspondence to Kiichi Fukui.

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†These authors equally contributed to this work

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Kawabe, A., Matsunaga, S., Nakagawa, K. et al. Characterization of plant Aurora kinases during mitosis. Plant Mol Biol 58, 1–13 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11103-005-3454-x

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