STAT3-YAP/TAZ signaling in endothelial cells promotes tumor angiogenesis

Sci Signal. 2021 Dec 7;14(712):eabj8393. doi: 10.1126/scisignal.abj8393. Epub 2021 Dec 7.

Abstract

The nuclear translocation and activity of the cotranscriptional activators YAP and TAZ (YAP/TAZ) in endothelial cells (ECs) are crucial during developmental angiogenesis. Here, we studied the role of YAP/TAZ signaling in ECs in tumor angiogenesis and found that the expression of YAP/TAZ and downstream target genes in ECs correlated with tumor vascularization in human colorectal carcinomas and skin melanoma. Treatment with the YAP/TAZ inhibitor verteporfin reduced vessel density and tumor progression in a mouse colorectal cancer (CRC) model. Conditional deletion of YAP/TAZ in ECs reduced tumor angiogenesis and growth in a mouse B16-F10 melanoma model. Using cultured ECs and mice with EC-specific ablation, we showed that signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) was required for the activation of YAP/TAZ in tumor-associated ECs. Moreover, we showed that STAT3-mediated signaling promoted YAP/TAZ activity and that the nuclear shuttling machinery for STAT3 was also required for YAP/TAZ nuclear translocation. Together, our data highlight the role of YAP/TAZ as critical players in ECs during tumor angiogenesis and provide insight into the signaling pathways leading to their activation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / genetics
  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / metabolism
  • Endothelial Cells* / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Neoplasms*
  • Phosphoproteins / genetics
  • Phosphoproteins / metabolism
  • STAT3 Transcription Factor / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction
  • YAP-Signaling Proteins

Substances

  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing
  • Phosphoproteins
  • STAT3 Transcription Factor
  • STAT3 protein, human
  • YAP-Signaling Proteins