Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 17, 2026
06:29
Real-Time Monitoring of Aurora kinase A Activation using Conformational FRET Biosensors in Live Cells
Published on: July 30, 2020
FBXW7 is involved in Aurora B degradation
Chieh-Lin Teng1, Yun-Chi Hsieh, Liem Phan
1Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Cell Cycle (Georgetown, Tex.)
|October 26, 2012
Summary
FBXW7 (F-box and WD repeat domain-containing protein 7) negatively regulates Aurora B kinase, preventing mitotic errors. Loss of FBXW7 elevates Aurora B, promoting cancer cell growth and deregulated mitosis.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Molecular Biology
- Cancer Research
Background:
- FBXW7 (F-box and WD repeat domain-containing protein 7) is an E3 ubiquitin ligase component involved in the mitotic checkpoint.
- Aurora B is a critical kinase for accurate chromosome segregation during mitosis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the regulatory relationship between FBXW7 and Aurora B during mitosis.
- To elucidate the role of FBXW7 in controlling Aurora B levels and mitotic progression.
Main Methods:
- Investigated FBXW7's effect on Aurora B expression via ectopic expression and deficiency models.
- Performed mechanistic studies involving ubiquitination and protein-protein interaction assays.
- Analyzed the correlation between FBXW7 and Aurora B levels with mitotic fidelity and cell proliferation.
Main Results:
- FBXW7 acts as a negative regulator of Aurora B, suppressing its expression through ubiquitination-mediated degradation.
- FBXW7 interacts with Aurora B at specific residues within its WD40 domain.
- Loss of FBXW7 leads to elevated Aurora B, resulting in mitotic deregulation, increased cell growth, and multinucleation.
Conclusions:
- FBXW7 is a key negative regulator of Aurora B, maintaining mitotic checkpoint integrity.
- FBXW7 dysfunction, common in cancers, can cause Aurora B elevation, driving oncogenesis through deregulated mitosis.
Related Concept Videos
02:17Microtubule Instability
Microtubules are hollow cylindrical filaments having a diameter of approximately 25 nm and a length that varies from 200 nm to 25 μm. GTP-bound tubulin subunits form αβ-heterodimers for microtubule assembly. These core building blocks interact longitudinally, polymerizing into protofilaments. The protofilaments then interact with one another through lateral bonding forces to form stable cylindrical microtubules. These cylindrical filaments are dynamic as they undergo repeated assembly and...
02:17Microtubule Instability
Microtubules are hollow cylindrical filaments having a diameter of approximately 25 nm and a length that varies from 200 nm to 25 μm. GTP-bound tubulin subunits form αβ-heterodimers for microtubule assembly. These core building blocks interact longitudinally, polymerizing into protofilaments. The protofilaments then interact with one another through lateral bonding forces to form stable cylindrical microtubules. These cylindrical filaments are dynamic as they undergo repeated assembly and...
00:50Anaphase Promoting Complex
The stepwise destruction of specific proteins is necessary for the progression and completion of the cell cycle. Such proteins are ubiquitinated by ubiquitin ligases and then subsequently destroyed by the proteasome. The SCF (Skp1/Cullin/F-box) and the anaphase-promoting complex (APC) are two important ubiquitin ligases involved in cell cycle progression. While SCF is active throughout the cell cycle, APC gets activated during metaphase to anaphase transition. Cdc20 or Cdh1 binds to APC and...
01:02Long-patch Base Excision Repair
Since the discovery of the two BER pathways, there has been a debate about how a cell chooses one pathway over the other and the factors determining this selection. Numerous in vitro experiments have pointed out multiple determinants for the sub-pathway selection. These are:
02:37Restarting Stalled Replication Forks
DNA replication is initiated at sites containing predefined DNA sequences known as origins of replication. DNA is unwound at these sites by the minichromosome maintenance (MCM) helicase and other factors such as Cdc45 and the associated GINS complex.The unwound single strands are protected by replication protein A (RPA) until DNA polymerase starts synthesizing DNA at the 5’ end of the strand in the same direction as the replication fork. To prevent the replication fork from falling apart, a...
01:45Destabilization of Microtubules
The destabilization of microtubules can occur during different stages of the microtubule lifecycle, such as nucleation or elongation. It can take place at either end of the microtubule or in the microtubule lattices as a whole. The lifespan of individual microtubules within a cell varies according to the cell type and stage of the cell cycle. During interphase, the lifespan of the microtubule is about 30 minutes, while during cell division, it is about 15 minutes. In axonal microtubules of...