- Azad, T;
- Janse van Rensburg, HJ;
- Lightbody, ED;
- Neveu, B;
- Champagne, A;
- Ghaffari, A;
- Kay, VR;
- Hao, Y;
- Shen, H;
- Yeung, B;
- Croy, BA;
- Guan, KL;
- Pouliot, F;
- Zhang, J;
- Nicol, CJB;
- Yang, X
The Hippo pathway is a central regulator of tissue development and homeostasis, and has been reported to have a role during vascular development. Here we develop a bioluminescence-based biosensor that monitors the activity of the Hippo core component LATS kinase. Using this biosensor and a library of small molecule kinase inhibitors, we perform a screen for kinases modulating LATS activity and identify VEGFR as an upstream regulator of the Hippo pathway. We find that VEGFR activation by VEGF triggers PI3K/MAPK signaling, which subsequently inhibits LATS and activates the Hippo effectors YAP and TAZ. We further show that the Hippo pathway is a critical mediator of VEGF-induced angiogenesis and tumor vasculogenic mimicry. Thus, our work offers a biosensor tool for the study of the Hippo pathway and suggests a role for Hippo signaling in regulating blood vessel formation in physiological and pathological settings.