TY - JOUR

T1 - Beyond focal adhesions

T2 - integrin-linked kinase associates with tubulin and regulates mitotic spindle organization

AU - Fielding, Andrew B.

AU - Dobreva, Iveta

AU - Dedhar, Shoukat

PY - 2008/7/1

Y1 - 2008/7/1

N2 - Integrin-linked kinase (ILK) is a member of a multiprotein complex at focal adhesions which interacts with actin. Here, it functions as a kinase and adapter protein to regulate diverse cellular processes. Gene knockout studies have demonstrated critical roles for ILK in embryonic development and in organ and tissue homeostasis. However, ILK is overexpressed in many human cancers and experimental overexpression in non-transformed cells results in the acquisition of several oncogenic phenotypes. Proteomic based approaches to identify ILK binding partners have now identified tubulins and many centrosomal and mitotic spindle associated proteins as ILK interactors in addition to the expected focal adhesion, actin interacting, proteins. Further analysis has shown that ILK co-localizes with several of these proteins to the centrosome and inhibition or depletion of ILK causes mitotic spindle defects by disrupting Aurora A kinase/TACC3/ch-TOG interactions. Here we discuss the finding that ILK is a member of a tubulin-based multiprotein complex at the centrosome, and identify potential mechanisms by which ILK regulates the organization of the mitotic spindle. We also discuss the implications of ILK's mitotic role for cancer progression and highlight the potential use of ILK inhibitors as novel anti-mitotic chemotherapeutics.

AB - Integrin-linked kinase (ILK) is a member of a multiprotein complex at focal adhesions which interacts with actin. Here, it functions as a kinase and adapter protein to regulate diverse cellular processes. Gene knockout studies have demonstrated critical roles for ILK in embryonic development and in organ and tissue homeostasis. However, ILK is overexpressed in many human cancers and experimental overexpression in non-transformed cells results in the acquisition of several oncogenic phenotypes. Proteomic based approaches to identify ILK binding partners have now identified tubulins and many centrosomal and mitotic spindle associated proteins as ILK interactors in addition to the expected focal adhesion, actin interacting, proteins. Further analysis has shown that ILK co-localizes with several of these proteins to the centrosome and inhibition or depletion of ILK causes mitotic spindle defects by disrupting Aurora A kinase/TACC3/ch-TOG interactions. Here we discuss the finding that ILK is a member of a tubulin-based multiprotein complex at the centrosome, and identify potential mechanisms by which ILK regulates the organization of the mitotic spindle. We also discuss the implications of ILK's mitotic role for cancer progression and highlight the potential use of ILK inhibitors as novel anti-mitotic chemotherapeutics.

KW - Actins

KW - Animals

KW - Aurora Kinases

KW - Centrosome

KW - DNA Helicases

KW - Focal Adhesions

KW - Humans

KW - Integrins

KW - Microtubule-Associated Proteins

KW - Neoplasms

KW - Protein-Serine-Threonine Kinases

KW - Proteomics

KW - Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt

KW - Repressor Proteins

KW - Spindle Apparatus

KW - Tubulin

KW - beta Catenin

KW - Journal Article

KW - Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

U2 - 10.4161/cc.7.13.6204

DO - 10.4161/cc.7.13.6204

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 18604167

VL - 7

SP - 1899

EP - 1906

JO - Cell Cycle

JF - Cell Cycle

SN - 1538-4101

IS - 13

ER -