Copy number increase of aurora kinase A in colorectal cancers: a correlation with tumor progression

The centrosome-associated kinase aurora A (AURKA) is involved in genetic instability and is over-expressed in several human carcinomas including colorectal cancer (CRC). The choromosome locus of AURKA, 20q13, is frequently amplified in CRC, and the functional impact of such regions needs to be extensively investigated in large amount of clinical samples. Case-matched tissues of colorectal adenocarcinomas and adjacent normal epithelium (n= 134) were included in this study. Quantitative PCR was carried out to examine the copy number and mRNA level of AURKA in CRC. Our results showed that copy number gains of AUKRA were detected in a relative high percentage of CRC samples (32.4%, 43 of 134). There was a positive correlation between copy number increase of AURKA and tumor progression. And copy number gains of AURKA also showed a positive correlation with mRNA over-expression in CRC. However, the expression level of AURKA mRNA was also enhanced in the group of CRC samples with unaltered copy numbers. These findings indicated that sporadic colorectal cancers exhibit different mechanisms of aurora A regulation and this may impact the efficacy of aurora-targeted therapies.