Protein Aurora Borealis (BORA)

BORA is an activator of the protein kinase Aurora A (AURKA), which is required for centrosome maturation, spindle assembly, and asymmetric protein localization during mitosis.

Addition of BORA increased Aurora A activity in a dose-dependent manner in an in vitro kinase assay, and activation by BORA required autophosphorylation of Aurora A. Downregulation of BORA by small interfering RNA in a human osteosarcoma cell line resulted in multipolar spindles in mitosis, a phenotype that is also observed upon blocking Aurora A function. In Drosophila cells, translocation of Bora from the nucleus to the cytoplasm was dependent on Cdc2 .