Identification of the auto-inhibitory domains of Aurora-A kinase

Abstract Aurora-A is a centrosome-localized serine/threonine kinase that is overexpressed in multiple human cancers. Here, we report an intramolecular inhibitory regulation in Aurora-A between its N-terminal regulatory domain (aa 1–128, Nt) and the C-terminal catalytic domain (aa 129–403, Cd). Removal of Nt results in a significant increase in kinase activity. Nt inhibited the activity of the single C-terminal kinase domain, but had little effect on the activity of the full-length of Aurora-A. PP1 is not involved in this regulation, instead, Nt interacts Cd directly in vitro and in vivo. The non-Aurora box (aa 64–128) in the N-terminal negatively regulated the kinase activity of the C-terminal kinase domain by intramolecular interaction with aa 240–300 within the C-terminal.