CDC25B Phosphorylation by Aurora A Occurs at the G2/M Transition and is Inhibited by DNA Damage

CDC25B is one of the three human dual-specificity phosphatases involved in the activation ofcyclin-dependent kinases at key stages of the cell division cycle. CDC25B that is responsiblefor the activation of CDK1-cyclin B1 is regulated by phosphorylation. The STK15/Aurora-Akinase locally phosphorylates CDC25B on serine 353 at the centrosome during the G2/Mtransition. Here we have investigated this phosphorylation event during the cell cycle, and inresponse to activation of the G2 DNA damage checkpoint. We show that accumulation of theS353-phosphorylated form of CDC25B at the centrosome correlates with the relocalisation ofcyclin B1 to the nucleus and the activation of CDK1 at entry into mitosis. Upon activation ofthe G2/M checkpoint by DNA damage, we demonstrate that Aurora-A is not activated andconsequently CDC25B is not phosphorylated. We show that ectopic expression of Aurora-Aresults in a bypass of the checkpoint that partially overcome by a S353A mutant of CDC25B.Finally, we show that bypass of the G2/M checkpoint by the CHK1 kinase inhibitor UCN-01results in the activation of Aurora-A and phosphorylation of CDC25B on S353. These resultsstrongly suggest that Aurora-A-mediated phosphorylation of CDC25B at the centrosome is animportant step contributing to the earliest events inducing mitosis, upstream of CDK1-cyclinB1 activation.