# LATS2

Source: https://onco.cc/targets/lats2/  
OnCo record `lats2` (Target). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

LATS2 (Serine/threonine-protein kinase LATS2) is a protein kinase, an enzyme that switches other proteins on by adding phosphate groups. The public catalogues list it as an oncogene driver and a tumour suppressor, and it is called a cancer driver by mutation analysis of patient cohorts. Tied to Mesothelioma, Skin cancer, Colorectal cancer and 5 more.

## Summary

Negative regulator of YAP1 in the Hippo signalling pathway that plays a pivotal role in organ size control and tumour suppression by restricting proliferation and promoting apoptosis. The core of this pathway is composed of a kinase cascade wherein STK3/MST2 and STK4/MST1, in complex with its regulatory protein SAV1, phosphorylates and activates LATS1/2 in complex with its regulatory protein MOB1, which in turn phosphorylates and inactivates YAP1 oncoprotein and WWTR1/TAZ. Phosphorylation of YAP1 by LATS2 inhibits its translocation into the nucleus to regulate cellular genes important for cell proliferation, cell death, and cell migration.

Open Targets scores its association with cancer at 0.69 (direct and indirect evidence; datatypes literature 0.99, genetic association 0.00, somatic mutation 0.83). IntOGen calls it a driver in 5 cohorts (1 activating, 4 loss-of-function), covering Lung Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Pilocytic Astrocytoma, Pleural Mesothelioma.

## Fields

- Kind: Target
- Last checked: 2026-09-23
- Also known as: large tumor suppressor kinase 2; Serine/threonine-protein kinase LATS2
- Tags: cancer-genes-wave
- Symbol: LATS2
- Class: kinase
- Biology: Negative regulator of YAP1 in the Hippo signalling pathway that plays a pivotal role in organ size control and tumour suppression by restricting proliferation and promoting apoptosis. The core of this pathway is composed of a kinase cascade wherein STK3/MST2 and STK4/MST1, in complex with its regulatory protein SAV1, phosphorylates and activates LATS1/2 in complex with its regulatory protein MOB1, which in turn phosphorylates and inactivates YAP1 oncoprotein and WWTR1/TAZ. Phosphorylation of YAP1 by LATS2 inhibits its translocation into the nucleus to regulate cellular genes important for cell proliferation, cell death, and cell migration. Also phosphorylates YAP1 in response to cell contact inhibition-driven WWP1 ubiquitination of AMOTL2, which results in LATS2 activation. Acts as a tumour suppressor which plays a critical role in centrosome duplication, maintenance of mitotic fidelity and genomic stability. Negatively regulates G1/S transition by down-regulating cyclin E/CDK2 kinase activity. Location: Cytoplasm, cytoskeleton, microtubule organizing center, centrosome; Cytoplasm; Cytoplasm, cytoskeleton, spindle pole; Nucleus (UniProt). Locus 13q12.11 (HGNC).
- Where found: Mesothelioma: IntOGen driver in 3 cohorts (PLMESO); Skin cancer: Open Targets association 0.55 with skin cancer (MONDO_0002898); Colorectal cancer: Open Targets association 0.55 with colorectal cancer (MONDO_0005575); Breast cancer: Open Targets association 0.54 with breast cancer (MONDO_0007254); Pleural mesothelioma: IntOGen driver in 3 cohorts (PLMESO); Non-small-cell lung cancer: IntOGen driver in 1 cohort (LUSC)

## Notes

- Written by scripts/fetch-cancer-genes.ts from CIViC, Open Targets, IntOGen, HGNC and UniProt; the function text is UniProt's, condensed and in UK spelling. Roles: IntOGen calls it an activating (Act) driver in 1 cohort; IntOGen calls it a loss-of-function (LoF) driver in 4 cohorts. Evidence tier "cohort-driver" is the strongest of those signals.
- Prevalence not recorded: none of the sources gives a positivity rate.

## Sources

- HGNC HGNC:6515: https://www.genenames.org/data/gene-symbol-report/#!/hgnc_id/HGNC:6515
- UniProt Q9NRM7: https://www.uniprot.org/uniprotkb/Q9NRM7/entry
- NCBI Gene 26524: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/26524
- Ensembl ENSG00000150457: https://www.ensembl.org/Homo_sapiens/Gene/Summary?g=ENSG00000150457

## Connected records

- collections: [IntOGen](https://onco.cc/collections/intogen/), [Open Targets Platform](https://onco.cc/collections/open-targets/)
- cancers: [Breast cancer (all types)](https://onco.cc/cancers/breast-cancer/), [Colorectal cancer](https://onco.cc/cancers/colorectal/), [Melanoma](https://onco.cc/cancers/melanoma/), [Mesothelioma](https://onco.cc/cancers/mesothelioma/), [Non-small-cell lung cancer](https://onco.cc/cancers/nsclc/), [Paediatric low-grade glioma](https://onco.cc/cancers/paediatric-low-grade-glioma/), [Pleural mesothelioma](https://onco.cc/cancers/pleural-mesothelioma/), [Skin cancer (all types)](https://onco.cc/cancers/skin-cancer/)

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JSON: https://onco.cc/api/v1/entities/lats2.json