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Citron kinase interacts with LATS2 and inhibits its activity by occluding its hydrophobic phosphorylation motif
Thi Hai Yen Tran 1,† , Dae-Wook Yang 1,† , Minchul Kim1, Da-Hye Lee1, Marta Gai2, Ferdinando Di Cunto2, Kwang-Wook Choi1, and Dae-Sik Lim 1,*
1 Department of Biological Sciences, KAIST 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
2 Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy
These authors contributed equally to this work.
*Correspondence to:Dae-Sik Lim, E-mail: daesiklim@kaist.ac.kr
J Mol Cell Biol, Volume 11, Issue 11, November 2019, 1006-1017,  https://doi.org/10.1093/jmcb/mjz013
Keyword: citron kinase, LATS2–YAP interaction, LATS2 inhibition, sticky–warts, Hippo pathway
The inhibitory effect of large tumor suppressor kinase (LATS1/2) on the activity of the oncoprotein yes-associated protein (YAP) is crucial to maintain tissue homeostasis. Proteomic studies have identified several new regulators of this process. Recently, citron kinase (CIT) was listed as a potential binding candidate of Hippo-related components, suggesting a new connection between CIT and the Hippo pathway. Aside from CIT’s role in cytokinesis, the molecular crosstalk between CIT and the Hippo pathway is largely unknown. Here, we demonstrate a role for CIT as a scaffold protein linking LATS2 and YAP. More importantly, CIT interacts with LATS2 to directly suppress LATS2 phosphorylation at the hydrophobic motif—targeted by MST1, leading to LATS2 inactivation and YAP activation. By studying their genetic interactions, we found that Sticky, the CIT homolog in Drosophila melanogaster, functions with Warts to control Drosophila eye development. Together, our study confirms citron kinase as a novel regulator of the Hippo pathway.