Nucleotide sequences of lats genes

An isolated nucleic acid molecule that hybridizes under conditions of low stringency to a second nucleic acid molecule consisting of a sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:1, the complement of SEQ ID NO:

• 1, SEQ ID NO:3, the complement of SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:5, the complement of SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:
• 7, and the complement of SEQ ID NO:7, said conditions of low stringency consisting of pretreatment for 6 hours at 40° C. in a solution containing 35% formamide, 5×SSC, 50mM Tris-HCl (pH 7.5), 5 mM EDTA, 0.1% PVP, 0.1% Ficoll, 1% BSA, and 500 μg/ml denatured salmon sperm DNA;
• hybridization for 18-20 hours at 40° C. in a solution containing 35% formamide, 5×SSC, 550OmM Tris-HCl (pH 7.5), 5 mM EDTA, 0.02% PVP, 0.02% Ficoll, 0.2% BSA, 100 μg/ml denatured salmon sperm DNA, and 10% (wt/vol) dextran sulfate;
• and washing twice for 1.5 hours at 55° C. in a solution containing 2×SSC, 25 mM Tris-HC (pH7.4), 5 mM EDTA, and 0.1% SDS, wherein said isolated nucleic acid encodes, or is complementary to a sequence that encodes, a lats polypeptide or a fragment thereof comprising one or more lats domains selected from the group consisting of a lats C-terminal domain 3 (LCD3), lats C-terminal domain 2 (LCD2), lats C-terminal domain 1 (LCD1), kinase domain, lats flanking domain (LFD), lats split domain 1 (LSD1), lats split domain 2 (LSD2), SH3-binding domain, and opa repeat domain, and wherein the isolated lats polypeptide or fragment thereof has a functional activity of a full-length lats protein.