USP10 Promotes Proliferation of Hepatocellular Carcinoma by Deubiquitinating and Stabilizing YAP/TAZ.

Yes-associated protein (YAP) and its paralogue, transcriptional co-activator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ), play pivotal roles in promoting the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the regulatory mechanism underpinning aberrant activation of YAP/TAZ in HCC remains unclear. In this study, we globally profiled the contribution of deubiquitinating enzymes (DUB) to both transcriptional activity and protein abundance of YAP/TAZ in HCC models and identified ubiquitin-specific peptidase 10 (USP10) as a potent YAP/TAZ-activating DUB. Mechanistically, USP10 directly interacted with and stabilized YAP/TAZ by reverting their proteolytic ubiquitination. Depletion of USP10 enhanced polyubiquitination of YAP/TAZ, promoted their proteasomal degradation, and ultimately arrested the proliferation of HCC in vitro and in vivo. Expression levels of USP10 positively correlated with the abundance of YAP/TAZ in HCC patient samples as well as in N-nitrosodiethylamine (DEN)-induced liver cancer mice models. Collectively, this study establishes the causal link between USP10 and hyperactivated YAP/TAZ in HCC cells and provides a rationale for potential therapeutic interventions in the treatment of HCC patients harboring a high level of YAP/TAZ.