Pharmacological inhibition of Aurora-A but not Aurora-B impairs interphase microtubule dynamics

Aurora kinases are key cell cycle regulators and represent attractive new targets in cancer therapy. In this work we investigated the effect of specific inhibition of Aurora-A and Aurora-B on interphase microtubule dynamics using the GSK6000063A and AZD1152 HQPA compounds respectively. We show that Aurora-A inhibition results in microtubule network disorganization and bundling. Using video microscopy and laser-based photo ablation we demonstrate that Aurora-A inhibition decreases microtubule shrinkage, growth rate, frequency rescue and nucleation. These results open new perspectives on the role of Aurora-A in interphase and might be worth considering in a pharmacological perspective.