The D-Box-activating domain (DAD) is a new proteolysis signal that stimulates the silent D-Box sequence of Aurora-A

EMBO Rep. 2002 Dec;3(12):1209-14. doi: 10.1093/embo-reports/kvf241. Epub 2002 Nov 21.

Abstract

We have demonstrated previously that Xenopus Aurora-A is degraded at late mitosis by the APC/Fizzy-Related in a D-Box-dependent manner. Here we demonstrate that, although Aurora-B possesses the same D-Box as Aurora-A, Aurora-B is not degraded by this ubiquitin ligase. We have constructed a chimera Aurora-A/B with the N-terminus of Aurora-A and the C-terminus of Aurora-B and we have examined its degradation by APC/Fizzy-Related. We demonstrate that the N-terminus of Aurora-A confers degradation capacity on the C-terminus of Aurora-B and that this feature is blocked by mutation of the conserved D-Box sequence. We characterize the minimal degradation signal at the N-terminus of Aurora-A and demonstrate that its deletion blocks the degradation of this protein by APC/Fizzy-Related. Thus, we conclude that two different degradation signals are required for proteolysis of Aurora-A. The first one, which we designated D-Box-activating domain, within the N-terminal domain of Aurora-A confers the functionality to the second, a silent D-Box, present within the C-terminus of the kinase.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Aurora Kinases
  • Cdh1 Proteins
  • Cell Cycle Proteins / metabolism
  • Protein Kinases / genetics*
  • Protein Kinases / metabolism
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / metabolism
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary
  • Xenopus
  • Xenopus Proteins*

Substances

  • Cdh1 Proteins
  • Cell Cycle Proteins
  • Xenopus Proteins
  • fzr1 protein, Xenopus
  • Protein Kinases
  • AURKA protein, Xenopus
  • Aurora Kinases
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases