- Feng, Xiaodong;
- Degese, Maria;
- Iglesias-Bartolome, Ramiro;
- Vaque, Jose;
- Molinolo, Alfredo;
- Rodrigues, Murilo;
- Zaidi, M;
- Ksander, Bruce;
- Merlino, Glenn;
- Sodhi, Akrit;
- Chen, Qianming;
- Gutkind, J
Mutually exclusive activating mutations in the GNAQ and GNA11 oncogenes, encoding heterotrimeric Gαq family members, have been identified in ∼ 83% and ∼ 6% of uveal and skin melanomas, respectively. However, the molecular events underlying these GNAQ-driven malignancies are not yet defined, thus limiting the ability to develop cancer-targeted therapies. Here, we focused on the transcriptional coactivator YAP, a critical component of the Hippo signaling pathway that controls organ size. We found that Gαq stimulates YAP through a Trio-Rho/Rac signaling circuitry promoting actin polymerization, independently of phospholipase Cβ and the canonical Hippo pathway. Furthermore, we show that Gαq promotes the YAP-dependent growth of uveal melanoma cells, thereby identifying YAP as a suitable therapeutic target in uveal melanoma, a GNAQ/GNA11-initiated human malignancy.