Extracellular signal-Regulated Kinase 5 (ERK5) is required for the Yes-associated protein (YAP) co-transcriptional activity

Abstract: YES-associated protein (YAP) is a transcriptional cofactor with a key role in the regulation of several cellular processes, including proliferation, differentiation and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), by integrating multiple cell autonomous and microenvironmental cues. YAP overexpression was found in different types of human cancer where it is associated with the acquisition of stemness properties, chemoresistance, increased cell proliferation and survival, metastasis and, ultimately, poor prognosis. YAP is the main downstream effector of the Hippo pathway, a tumor suppressive signaling able to transduce several extracellular signals. The Hippo pathway acts restraining YAP activity, since its activation induces YAP phosphorylation and cytoplasmic sequestration. However, recent observations indicate that YAP activity can be also modulated by Hippo independent/integrating pathways, still largely unexplored. In this study, we demonstrated the role of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase 5 (ERK5)/mitogen-activated protein kinase in the regulation of YAP activity. By means of ERK5 inhibition/silencing and overexpression experiments, and by using as model liver stem cells, hepatocytes and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines, we provided evidence that ERK5 is required for YAP-dependent gene expression. Mechanistically, ERK5 controls the recruitment of YAP on promoters of target genes and its physical interaction with the transcriptional partner TEAD; moreover, it mediates the YAP activation occurring in cell adhesion, migration and TGFβ-induced EMT of liver cells. Furthermore, we demonstrated that ERK5 signaling modulates YAP activity in a LATS1/2-independent manner. Therefore, our observations identify ERK5 as a novel upstream Hippo-independent regulator of YAP activity, thus unveiling a new target for therapeutic approaches aimed at interfering with its function.