Phosphorylation-dependent regulation of ALDH1A1 by Aurora kinase A: insights on their synergistic relationship in pancreatic cancer

BACKGROUND: Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and cancer stem cell (CSC) formation are key underlying causes that promote extensive metastasis, drug resistance, and tumor recurrence in highly lethal pancreatic cancer. The mechanisms leading to EMT and CSC phenotypes are not fully understood, which has hindered the development of effective targeted therapies capable of improving treatment outcomes in patients with pancreatic cancer. RESULTS: We show a central role of Aurora kinase A (AURKA) in promoting EMT and CSC phenotypes via ALDH1A1, which was discovered as its direct substrate using an innovative chemical genetic screen. AURKA phosphorylates ALDH1A1 at three critical residues which exert a multifaceted regulation over its level, enzymatic activity, and quaternary structure. While all three phosphorylation sites contribute to its increased stability, T267 phosphorylation primarily regulates ALDH1A1 activity. AURKA-mediated phosphorylation rapidly dissociates tetrameric ALDH1A1 into a highly active monomeric species. ALDH1A1 also reciprocates and prevents AURKA degradation, thereby triggering a positive feedback activation loop which drives highly aggressive phenotypes in cancer. Phospho-resistant ALDH1A1 fully reverses EMT and CSC phenotypes, thus serving as dominant negative, which underscores the clinical significance of the AURKA-ALDH1A1 signaling axis in pancreatic cancer. CONCLUSIONS: While increased levels and activity of ALDH1A1 are hallmarks of CSCs, the underlying molecular mechanism remains unclear. We show the first phosphorylation-dependent regulation of ALDH1A1, which increases its levels and activity via AURKA. Recent global phospho-proteomic screens have revealed increased phosphorylation of ALDH1A1 at the T267 site in human cancers and healthy liver tissues where ALDH1A1 is highly expressed and active, indicating that this regulation is likely crucial both in normal and diseased states. This is also the first study to demonstrate oligomer-dependent activity of ALDH1A1, signifying that targeting its oligomerization state may be an effective therapeutic approach for counteracting its protective functions in cancer. Finally, while AURKA inhibition provides a potent tool to reduce ALDH1A1 levels and activity, the reciprocal loop between them ensures that their concurrent inhibition will be highly synergistic when inhibiting tumorigenesis, chemoresistance, and metastasis in highly aggressive pancreatic cancer and beyond. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12915-016-0335-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.