MARK2/MARK3 Kinases Are Catalytic Codependencies of YAP/TAZ in Human Cancer.

ABSTRACT: The Hippo signaling pathway is commonly dysregulated in human cancer, which leads to a powerful tumor dependency on the YAP/TAZ transcriptional coactivators. In this study, we used paralog cotargeting CRISPR screens to identify kinases MARK2/3 as absolute catalytic requirements for YAP/TAZ function in diverse carcinoma and sarcoma contexts. Underlying this observation is the direct MARK2/3-dependent phosphorylation of NF2 and YAP/TAZ, which effectively reverses the tumor suppressive activity of the Hippo module kinases LATS1/2. To simulate targeting of MARK2/3, we adapted the CagA protein from Helicobacter pylori as a catalytic inhibitor of MARK2/3, which we show can regress established tumors in vivo. Together, these findings reveal MARK2/3 as powerful codependencies of YAP/TAZ in human c

SUBMITTER: Klingbeil O 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11609825 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature