The N-Myc MB0-MBI region interacts specifically and dynamically with the N-lobe of Aurora kinase A.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 41735282.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-026-69725-1 and PMC identifier 12936163.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
The intrinsically disordered MYC proteins are master regulators of cellular growth and function, but when deregulated they become cancer drivers. MYC-protein interactions are key to oncogenesis, and while disrupting such interactions would be of significant therapeutic benefit, the intrinsically disordered properties of MYC have dramatically hampered their characterization. Here, we apply an integrated structural biology approach to describe the structure and dynamics of the N-Myc-Aurora A complex, which is critical in neuroendocrine tumor progression. We reveal a functional interaction where multiple binding sites on N-Myc interact with the Aurora A N-lobe. The interaction is governed by aromatic clusters within the conserved MB0 and MBI motifs in N-Myc that interact with Aurora A in a dynamic binding mode that allosterically promotes kinase activation. We show that N-Myc binding to the Aurora A N-lobe can be inhibited by the small-molecule AurkinA, providing opportunity for therapeutical strategies to disrupt this interaction.