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Updated: May 23, 2026

Monitoring Hippo Signaling Pathway Activity Using a Luciferase-based Large Tumor Suppressor (LATS) Biosensor
Published on: September 13, 2018
LATS kinase activity and tumor suppressor function are regulated by a second autophosphorylation site
Ruxin Jin1, Zhenxing Zhong1, Rui Zhu1
1Institute of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Qidong-Fudan Innovative Institution of Medical Sciences, and Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
None:
The Hippo signaling pathway regulates cell proliferation, differentiation, and survival. LATS kinases (LATS1 and LATS2) are central kinases in this pathway, activated by MST/MAP4Ks through phosphorylation at the hydrophobic motif, which primes subsequent autophosphorylation at the activation loop. Here, we identify a conserved autophosphorylation site (Ser872 in LATS1 and Ser835 in LATS2) within a canonical HXRXXS motif of the kinase domain, designated as the canonical LATS1/2 substrate site. Phosphorylation at the canonical LATS1/2 substrate site is required for the full activation of LATS kinases, as substitution of this serine with alanine significantly impairs YAP phosphorylation, thereby enhancing the oncogenic activity of YAP, a key downstream effector of LATS kinases. These results provide new mechanistic insights into the regulation of LATS kinase activity and the biological function of the Hippo pathway.
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