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SummarySHP2 is a ubiquitously expressed protein tyrosine phosphatase, deregulation of which is associated with malignant neoplasms and developmental disorders. SHP2 is required for full activation of RAS-Erk signaling in the cytoplasm and is also present in the nucleus, where it promotes Wnt target gene activation through dephosphorylation of parafibromin. SHP2 is distributed both to the cytoplasm and nucleus at low cell density but is excluded from the nucleus at high cell density. Here, we show that SHP2 physically interacts with transcriptional coactivators YAP and TAZ, targets of the cell-density-sensing Hippo signal. Through the interaction, nonphosphorylated YAP/TAZ promote nuclear translocalization of SHP2, which in turn stimulates TCF/LEF- and TEAD-regulated genes via parafibromin dephosphorylation. Conversely, YAP/TAZ phosphorylated by Hippo signaling sequester SHP2 in the cytoplasm, thereby preventing nuclear accumulation of SHP2. Hence, YAP/TAZ serve as a rheostat for nuclear SHP2 function, which is switched off by the Hippo signal.

Protein S-palmitoylation, the most common lipid modification with the 16-carbon fatty acid palmitate, provides an important mechanism for regulating protein trafficking and function. The unique reversibility of protein palmitoylation allows proteins to rapidly shuttle between intracellular membrane compartments. Importantly, this palmitate cycling can be regulated by some physiological stimuli, contributing to cellular homeostasis and plasticity. Although the enzyme responsible for protein palmitoylation had been long elusive, DHHC family proteins, conserved from plants to mammals, have recently emerged as palmitoyl acyl transferases. Integrated approaches including advanced proteomics, live-cell imaging, and molecular genetics are beginning to clarify the molecular machinery for palmitoylation reaction in diverse aspects of cellular functions.

Background & Aims: Helicobacter pylori CagA-positive strain is associated with gastric adenocarcinoma. CagA is delivered into gastric epithelial cells, where it undergoes tyrosine phosphorylation at the EPIYA sites by Src family kinases (SFKs). Owing to homologous recombination within the 3′-region of the cagA gene, 4 distinct EPIYA sites, each of which is defined by surrounding sequences, are variably assembled in both number and order among CagA proteins from different clinical H pylori isolates. Tyrosine-phosphorylated CagA specifically binds and deregulates SHP-2 via the Western CagA-specific EPIYA-C or East Asian CagA-specific EPIYA-D site, and C-terminal Src kinase (Csk) via the EPIYA-A or EPIYA-B site. Here we investigated the influence of EPIYA-repeat polymorphism on the CagA activity. Methods: A series of EPIYA-repeat variants of CagA were expressed in AGS gastric epithelial cells and the ability of individual CagA to bind SHP-2 or Csk was determined by the sequential immunoprecipitation and immunoblotting method. Results: CagA proteins carrying multiple EPIYA-C or EPIYA-D sites bound and deregulated SHP-2 more strongly than those having a single EPIYA-C or EPIYA-D. Furthermore, the ability of CagA to bind Csk was correlated with the number of EPIYA-A and EPIYA-B sites. Because Csk inhibits SFK, CagA with greater Csk-binding activity more strongly inhibited Src-dependent CagA phosphorylation and more effectively attenuated induction of cell elongation caused by CagA–SHP-2 interaction. Conclusions: EPIYA-repeat polymorphism of CagA greatly influences the magnitude and duration of phosphorylation-dependent CagA activity, which may determine the potential of individual CagA as a bacterial virulence factor that directs gastric carcinogenesis.

The CagA protein of Helicobacter pylori, which is injected from the bacteria into bacteria-attached gastric epithelial cells, is associated with gastric carcinoma. CagA is tyrosine-phosphorylated by Src family kinases, binds the SH2 domain-containing SHP-2 phosphatase in a tyrosine phosphorylation-dependent manner, and deregulates its enzymatic activity. We established AGS human gastric epithelial cells that inducibly express wild-type or a phosphorylation-resistant CagA, in which tyrosine residues constituting the EPIYA motifs were substituted with alanines. Upon induction, wild-type CagA, but not the mutant CagA, elicited strong elongation of cell shape, termed the "hummingbird" phenotype. Time-lapse video microscopic analysis revealed that the CagA-expressing cells exhibited a marked increase in cell motility with successive rounds of elongation-contraction processes. Inhibition of CagA phosphorylation by an Src kinase inhibitor, PP2, or knockdown of SHP-2 expression by small interference RNA (siRNA) abolished the CagA-mediated hummingbird phenotype. The morphogenetic activity of CagA also required Erk MAPK but was independent of Ras or Grb2. In AGS cells, CagA prolonged duration of Erk activation in response to serum stimulation. Conversely, inhibition of SHP-2 expression by siRNA abolished the sustained Erk activation. Thus, SHP-2 acts as a positive regulator of Erk activity in AGS cells. These results indicate that SHP-2 is involved in the Ras-independent modification of Erk signals that is necessary for the morphogenetic activity of CagA. Our work therefore suggests a key role of SHP-2 in the pathological activity of H. pylori virulence factor CagA.