AMOTL1 enhances YAP1 stability and promotes YAP1-driven gastric oncogenesis

Oncogene. 2020 May;39(22):4375-4389. doi: 10.1038/s41388-020-1293-5. Epub 2020 Apr 20.

Abstract

Hippo signaling functions to limit cellular growth, but the aberrant nuclear accumulation of its downstream YAP1 leads to carcinogenesis. YAP1/TEAD complex activates the oncogenic downstream transcription, such as CTGF and c-Myc. How YAP1 is protected in the cytoplasm from ubiquitin-mediated degradation remains elusive. In this study, a member of Angiomotin (Motin) family, AMOTL1 (Angiomotin Like 1), was screened out as the only one to promote YAP1 nuclear accumulation by several clinical cohorts, which was further confirmed by the cellular functional assays. The interaction between YAP1 and AMOTL1 was suggested by co-immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescent staining. The clinical significance of the AMOTL1-YAP1-CTGF axis in gastric cancer (GC) was analyzed by multiple clinical cohorts. Moreover, the therapeutic effect of targeting the oncogenic axis was appraised by drug-sensitivity tests and xenograft-formation assays. The upregulation of AMOTL1 is associated with unfavorable clinical outcomes of GC, and knocking down AMOTL1 impairs its oncogenic properties. The cytoplasmic interaction between AMOTL1 and YAP1 protects each other from ubiquitin-mediated degradation. AMOTL1 promotes YAP1 translocation into the nuclei to activate the downstream expression, such as CTGF. Knocking down AMOTL1, YAP1, and CTGF enhances the therapeutic efficacies of the first-line anticancer drugs. Taken together, AMOTL1 plays an oncogenic role in gastric carcinogenesis through interacting with YAP1 and promoting its nuclear accumulation. A combination of AMOTL1, YAP1, and CTGF expression might serve as a surrogate of Hippo activation status. The co-activation of the AMOTL1/YAP1-CTGF axis is associated with poor clinical outcomes of GC patients, and targeting this oncogenic axis may enhance the chemotherapeutic effects.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Active Transport, Cell Nucleus
  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / genetics
  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / physiology*
  • Angiomotins
  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Nucleus / metabolism
  • Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / genetics*
  • Connective Tissue Growth Factor / biosynthesis
  • Connective Tissue Growth Factor / genetics
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
  • Gene Knockdown Techniques
  • Heterografts
  • Hippo Signaling Pathway
  • Humans
  • Kaplan-Meier Estimate
  • Membrane Proteins / genetics
  • Membrane Proteins / physiology*
  • Mice
  • Neoplasm Proteins / genetics
  • Neoplasm Proteins / physiology*
  • Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex / metabolism
  • Protein Binding
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / physiology
  • RNA Interference
  • RNA, Small Interfering / genetics
  • RNA, Small Interfering / pharmacology
  • Recombinant Proteins / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction
  • Stomach Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Stomach Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Stomach Neoplasms / pathology
  • Transcription Factors / genetics
  • Transcription Factors / physiology*
  • Verteporfin / pharmacology
  • Verteporfin / therapeutic use
  • YAP-Signaling Proteins

Substances

  • AMOTL1 protein, human
  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing
  • Angiomotins
  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • CCN2 protein, human
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Neoplasm Proteins
  • RNA, Small Interfering
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Transcription Factors
  • YAP-Signaling Proteins
  • YAP1 protein, human
  • Verteporfin
  • Connective Tissue Growth Factor
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases
  • Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex