Aurora-A recruitment and centrosomal maturation are regulated by a Golgi-activated pool of Src during G2

The Golgi apparatus is composed of stacks of cisternae laterally connected by tubules to form a ribbon-like structure. At the onset of mitosis, the Golgi ribbon is broken down into discrete stacks, which then undergo further fragmentation. This ribbon cleavage is required for G2/M transition, which thus indicates that a 'Golgi mitotic checkpoint' couples Golgi inheritance with cell cycle transition. We previously showed that the Golgi-checkpoint regulates the centrosomal recruitment of the mitotic kinase Aurora-A; however, how the Golgi unlinking regulates this recruitment was unknown. Here we show that, in G2, Aurora-A recruitment is promoted by activated Src at the Golgi. Our data provide evidence that Src and Aurora-A interact upon Golgi ribbon fragmentation; Src phosphorylates Aurora-A at tyrosine 148 and this specific phosphorylation is required for Aurora-A localization at the centrosomes. This process, pivotal for centrosome maturation, is a fundamental prerequisite for proper spindle formation and chromosome segregation.