Aurora/Ipl1p-related kinases, a new oncogenic family of mitotic serine-threonine kinases

During the past five years, a growing number of serine-threonine kinases hi ghly homologous to the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Ipl1p kinase have been isol ated in various organisms. A Drosophila melanogaster homologue, aurora, was the first to be isolated from a multicellular organism, Since then, severa l related kinases have been found in mammalian cells. They localise to the mitotic apparatus: in the centrosome, at the poles of the bipolar spindle o r in the midbody, The kinases are necessary for completion of mitotic event s such as centrosome separation, bipolar spindle assembly and chromosome se gregation. Extensive research is now focusing on these proteins because the three human homologues are overexpressed in various primary cancers. Furth ermore, overexpression of one of these kinases transforms cells. Because of the myriad of kinases identified, we suggest a generic name: (A) under bar urora/(I) under bar pl1p-(r) under bar elated kinase (AIRK), We denote AIR Ks with a species prefix and a number, e,g. HsAIRK1.