AURKC (Aurora Kinase C)
A key regulator of mitosis and meiosis, associated with male infertility and cancer.
Gene Information Card
| Symbol | AURKC |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Aurora kinase C |
| Gene Type | Protein coding |
| Chromosomal Location | 19q13.43 |
| NCBI Gene ID | 6795 ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/6795 |
| Ensembl ID | ENSG00000105173 |
| UniProt ID | Q9UQB9 |
| OMIM ID | 603495 |
| HGNC ID | 11391 |
| Aliases | AURKC, AIE2, AIK3, ARK3, AurC, STK13 |
Description
AURKC encodes a serine/threonine protein kinase belonging to the Aurora kinase family. It is essential for proper chromosome segregation during mitosis and meiosis, particularly in spermatogenesis. Mutations in AURKC cause male infertility due to meiotic arrest and large-headed spermatozoa. Overexpression is observed in various cancers, contributing to genomic instability.
Disease Associations
| Disease category | Pathophysiological mechanism | Genomic evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Male infertility (spermatogenic failure 5) | Loss-of-function mutations cause meiotic arrest, leading to large-headed, multiflagellar spermatozoa and azoospermia. | ClinVar, OMIM |
| Colorectal cancer | AURKC overexpression promotes chromosomal instability and aneuploidy. | COSMIC, NCBI |
| Breast cancer | Amplification and overexpression of AURKC correlate with poor prognosis. | COSMIC, NCBI |
Expression Profile
Tissue Expression
| Tissue | nTPM | level |
|---|---|---|
| Testis | 12.5 | High |
| Bone marrow | 2.1 | Low |
| Lymph node | 1.8 | Low |
| Spleen | 1.5 | Low |
| Thymus | 1.2 | Low |
Cell Line Expression
| Cell Line | nTPM | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| HeLa | 3.4 | Cervical cancer cell line |
| K562 | 2.8 | Leukemia cell line |
| A549 | 2.5 | Lung cancer cell line |
| MCF7 | 2.0 | Breast cancer cell line |
Data source：Human Protein Atlas（proteinatlas.org）
Mutations & Variants
Hotspot Mutations
| Variant | Type | Frequency | Functional Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| c.144delC (p.Tyr49*) | Frameshift nonsense | Common in North African populations | Loss of kinase activity; causes spermatogenic failure |
| c.436-2A>G | Splice acceptor | Rare | Exon skipping; loss of function |
| c.697C>T (p.Arg233*) | Nonsense | Rare | Premature truncation; loss of function |
Mutation functional classification
Loss of Function (LOF)
Most reported AURKC mutations are loss-of-function, leading to meiotic arrest and male infertility.
Gain of Function (GOF)
Not well documented; overexpression in cancers may act as a gain-of-function by promoting mitotic errors.
Dominant Negative (DN)
No evidence for dominant-negative effects in AURKC.
View complete mutation data：
Gene Ontology (GO)
| • protein kinase activity (GO:0004672) | • ATP binding (GO:0005524) |
| • spindle (GO:0005819) | • chromosome segregation (GO:0007059) |
| • mitotic nuclear division (GO:0007067) | • cell division (GO:0051301) |
| • positive regulation of cytokinesis (GO:0032467) |
Pathways
• Aurora kinase signaling (Reactome: R-HSA-1640170)
• Cell cycle
• mitotic (Reactome: R-HSA-69278)
• Meiosis (Reactome: R-HSA-1500620)
Protein Summary
Aurora kinase C is a 309-amino acid serine/threonine kinase localized to the centrosome and spindle apparatus. It regulates chromosome alignment, segregation, and cytokinesis. During meiosis, it is critical for spindle assembly and chromosome condensation. The protein contains an N-terminal regulatory domain and a C-terminal catalytic domain. Loss of function leads to meiotic failure, while overexpression contributes to tumorigenesis.
Related Services
Related Products
| Product name | Cat.No. | Species | Gene ID | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AURKC Knockout HEK293 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ5858 | Human | 6795 | Details Get a Quote |
| AURKC Knockout A-549 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ29335 | Human | 6795 | Details Get a Quote |
| AURKC Knockout HCT 116 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ29336 | Human | 6795 | Details Get a Quote |
| AURKC Knockout HeLa Cell Line | EDJ-KQ54586 | Human | 6795 | Details Get a Quote |
