AURKA Enhances the Glycolysis and Development of Ovarian Endometriosis Through ERβ

Disrupted glucocorticoid receptor cell signalling causes a ciliogenesis defect in the fetal mouse renal tubule

Primary cilia are cell signalling and environment sensing organelles and have important roles during embryogenesis and homeostasis. We demonstrate glucocorticoid signalling is essential for normal cilia formation in mouse and human renal tubules. RNA sequencing of E18.5 kidneys from glucocorticoid receptor (GR) null mice identified significant reductions in key ciliogenesis-related genes including Ccp110, Cep97, Cep290 and Kif3a. Confocal microscopy reveals abnormal, stunted cilia on proximal tubules, podocytes, and collecting duct cells in mice with global or conditional deletion of GR. In contrast, activation of GR signalling with dexamethasone in human kidney organoids or mouse IMCD3 cells increases cilia length, an effect blocked by the GR antagonist RU486. Analysis of GR-null kidney extracts demonstrates reduced levels of pERK and SUFU identifying potential cell pathway crosstalk with GR signalling that coordinately regulate ciliogenesis in the renal tubule. Finally, dexamethasone reduces Aurora kinase A levels, a factor driving cilia disassembly and implicated in the pathogenesis of polycystic kidney disease.

AURKA inhibits the decidualization of the eutopic endometrium in endometriosis through nuclear factor-κB p65†

Endometriosis is an estrogen dependent disease, which is related to infertility. Decidualization is a prerequisite for successful implantation of human embryos, and endometriosis affects the occurrence of decidualization. However, the mechanism that affects decidualization in endometriosis is not fully understood. Here, we find that Aurora kinase A (AURKA) is upregulated in the eutopic endometrium of endometriosis. AURKA inhibits the decidualization of stromal cells in the eutopic endometrium of endometriosis. Furthermore, in animal experiments, AURKA promotes endometriosis and inhibits decidualization in mice with endometriosis, leading to decreased expression of decidualization markers, such as prolactin, insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-1, and desmin. Afterwards, we find that nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) p65 is a new substrate of AURKA. AURKA interacts with p65 to promote its phosphorylation and nuclear translocation. Meanwhile, AURKA enhances the protein stability of p65 by prolonging its half-life. In summary, AURKA inhibits the decidualization of the eutopic endometrium in patients with endometriosis by regulating p65, which may provide new ideas for improving decidualization defect in patients with endometriosis.

AURKA Enhances the Glycolysis and Development of Ovarian Endometriosis Through ERβ

Ovarian endometriosis (EMs) is a benign, estrogen-dependent gynecological disorder. Estrogen receptor beta (ERβ), a nuclear receptor for estradiol, plays an important role in the development of ovarian EMs. Here, we investigated the biological significance of aurora kinase A (AURKA) in ovarian EMs and the mechanism by which it regulates ERβ. We used immunohistochemical assays to verify that AURKA and ERβ were highly expressed in ectopic endometrial tissues. Cell proliferation and colony formation assays were used to demonstrate that AURKA promoted the proliferation of EMs cells. Wound-healing assay, Transwell migration assay, and Matrigel invasion assay further showed that AURKA enhanced the ability of EMs cells to migrate and invade. In addition, AURKA was shown to stimulate glycolysis in EMs cells by measuring the concentration of glucose and lactate in the cell supernatants. Moreover, the AURKA inhibitor alisertib was found to inhibit the progression of ovarian EMs and glycolysis in a mouse model of EMs by measuring ectopic tissues as well as by testing the peritoneal fluid of mice. Furthermore, coimmunoprecipitation assay showed that AURKA interacted with ERβ. The rescue experiments confirmed that AURKA regulated the development and glycolysis of ovarian EMs in an ERβ-dependent manner. AURKA contributed to the development of ovarian EMs by upregulating of ERβ. AURKA may represent a new target for the treatment of ovarian EMs.