Aurora-A kinase is essential for bipolar spindle formation and early development.

ABSTRACT: Aurora-A is a conserved kinase implicated in mitotic regulation and carcinogenesis. Aurora-A was previously implicated in mitotic entry and spindle assembly, although contradictory results prevented a clear understanding of the roles of Aurora-A in mammals. We developed a conditional null mutation in the mouse Aurora-A gene to investigate Aurora-A functions in primary cells ex vivo and in vivo. We show here that conditional Aurora-A ablation in cultured embryonic fibroblasts causes impaired mitotic entry and mitotic arrest with a profound defect in bipolar spindle formation. Germ line Aurora-A deficiency causes embryonic death at the blastocyst stage with pronounced cell proliferation failure, mitotic arrest, and monopolar spindle formation. Aurora-A deletion in mid-gestation embryos cause

SUBMITTER: Cowley DO 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2643803 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature