Background: Malignant melanoma is the deadliest of skin cancer. The present study aimed to elucidate potential key candidate genes in melanoma and its molecular mechanism. Methods: Three gene expression profile data sets (GSE46517, GSE52882 and GSE54493) were downloaded from the GEO database, which included data from melanoma tissue samples and cell lines. DEGs were subsequently investigated by GO analysis via using DAVID website. PPI network was constructed using the STRING database and visualized by Cytoscape software and MCODE were utilized to PPI network to pick out meaningful DEGs. Cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion were measured using CCK-8, colony formation, flow cytometry, transwell and wound healing assays. RT-PCR, western blotting and immunohistochemistry assays were used to detect mRNA and protein expressions. TCGAportal and GEPIA databases were used to perform the bioinformatics analysis of LTBP4 in melanoma. Results: LTBP4 both is the DEG and a key gene from the most significant module of the PPI network. LTBP4 expression was down-regulation in melanoma tissues and cells relative to controls, which showed positive correlation with invasion, TNM stage, distal metastasis and lymph node metastasis, and predicted the poor prognosis for patients with melanoma. Cox analysis identified LTBP4 low-expression as an independent prognostic variable for overall survival (OS) in patients with melanoma. The results revealed that LTBP4 inhibition reduced cell apoptosis, promoted cell proliferation and metastasis. These changes were correlated caspase-3, ki67 and E-cadherin expressions by western blotting assay. Further in vivo tumor formation study in nude mice indicated that LTBP4 inhibition promoted the progress of tumor formation. LTBP4 gene knockout reduced the phosphorylation level of YAP, MST1 and MOB1 and promoted the nuclear translocation of YAP to inhibit the activation of Hippo signaling pathway. The functions of LTBP4 overexpression (OE) inhibiting the expressions of CTGF, Cyr61 and Birc5, promoting the apoptosis, and inhibiting the metastasis and proliferation of melanoma cells were reversed by YAP/or MST1 OE.Conclusions: LTBP4 OE suppressed the proliferation and metastasis in melanoma via inhibiting the nuclear translocation of YAP to activating Hippo signaling pathway, thereby inhibiting the development and progression of melanoma.