LATS1 and hepatocellular carcinoma: Western blot analysis revealed phosphorylation of both LATS1/2 and YAP significantly increased at 48 hrs in HCC cells transfected with the WWC2 overexpression plasmid (P = 0.007 and P = 0.0045, respectively, compared to cells transfected with vector control plasmid and untreated cells; Fig. 4A).