Functional analysis of the Aurora Kinase A Ile31 allelic variant in human prostate

Neoplasia. 2007 Sep;9(9):707-15. doi: 10.1593/neo.07322.

Abstract

Overexpression of the centrosome-associated serine/threonine kinase Aurora Kinase A (AURKA) has been demonstrated in both advanced prostate cancer and high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia lesions. The single-nucleotide polymorphism T91A (Phe31Ile) has been implicated in AURKA overexpression and has been suggested as a low-penetrance susceptibility allele in multiple human cancers, including prostate cancer. We studied the transcriptional consequences of the AURKA Ile31 allele in 28 commercial normal prostate tissue RNA samples (median age, 27 years). Significant overexpression of AURKA was demonstrated in homozygous and heterozygous AURKA Ile31 prostate RNA (2.07-fold and 1.93-fold, respectively; P < .05). Expression levels of 1509 genes differentiated between samples homozygous for Phe31 alleles and samples homozygous for Ile31 alleles (P = .05). Gene Ontology classification revealed overrepresentation of cell cycle arrest, ubiquitin cycle, antiapoptosis, and angiogenesis-related genes. When these hypothesis-generating results were subjected to more stringent statistical criteria, overexpression of a novel transcript of the natural killer tumor recognition sequence (NKTR) gene was revealed and validated in homozygous Ile31 samples (2.6-fold; P < .05). In summary, our data suggest an association between the AURKA Ile31 allele and an altered transcriptome in normal non-neoplastic prostates.

Keywords: Aurora Kinase A; NKTR; cancer; overexpression; prostate.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adenocarcinoma / genetics
  • Adenocarcinoma / metabolism
  • Adenocarcinoma / pathology
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Alleles
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Androgens
  • Aurora Kinase A
  • Aurora Kinases
  • Base Sequence
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / genetics*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Mitosis
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Neoplasm Proteins / chemistry
  • Neoplasm Proteins / genetics
  • Neoplasm Proteins / physiology
  • Neoplasms, Hormone-Dependent / genetics
  • Neoplasms, Hormone-Dependent / metabolism
  • Neoplasms, Hormone-Dependent / pathology
  • Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide*
  • Prostate / metabolism*
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / genetics
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / pathology
  • Protein Isoforms
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / chemistry
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / genetics
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / physiology*
  • Transcription, Genetic / genetics*

Substances

  • Androgens
  • Neoplasm Proteins
  • Protein Isoforms
  • AURKA protein, human
  • Aurora Kinase A
  • Aurora Kinases
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases