scholarly journals Yorkie-independent negative feedback couples Hippo pathway activation with Kibra degradation

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sherzod A. Tokamov ◽  
Ting Su ◽  
Anne Ullyot ◽  
Richard G. Fehon

AbstractThe Hippo signaling pathway regulates tissue growth in many animals. Multiple upstream components are known to promote Hippo pathway activity, but the organization of these different inputs, the degree of crosstalk between them, and whether they are regulated in a distinct manner is not well understood. Kibra activates the Hippo pathway by recruiting the core Hippo kinase cassette to the apical cortex. Here we show that the Hippo pathway downregulates Kibra levels independently of Yorkie-mediated transcriptional output. We find that the Hippo pathway promotes Kibra degradation via SCFSlimb-mediated ubiquitination, that this effect requires the core kinases Hippo and Warts, and that this mechanism functions independently of other upstream Hippo pathway activators including Crumbs and Expanded. Moreover, Kibra degradation appears patterned across tissue. We propose that Kibra degradation by the Hippo pathway serves as a negative feedback loop to tightly control Kibra-mediated Hippo pathway activation and ensure optimally scaled and patterned tissue growth.

eLife ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sherzod A Tokamov ◽  
Ting Su ◽  
Anne Ullyot ◽  
Richard G Fehon

The Hippo (Hpo) pathway regulates tissue growth in many animals. Multiple upstream components promote Hpo pathway activity, but the organization of these different inputs, the degree of crosstalk between them, and whether they are regulated in a distinct manner is not well understood. Kibra (Kib) activates the Hpo pathway by recruiting the core Hpo kinase cassette to the apical cortex. Here, we show that the Hpo pathway downregulates Drosophila Kib levels independently of Yorkie-mediated transcription. We find that Hpo signaling complex formation promotes Kib degradation via SCFSlimb-mediated ubiquitination, that this effect requires Merlin, Salvador, Hpo, and Warts, and that this mechanism functions independently of other upstream Hpo pathway activators. Moreover, Kib degradation appears patterned by differences in mechanical tension across the wing. We propose that Kib degradation mediated by Hpo pathway components and regulated by cytoskeletal tension serves to control Kib-driven Hpo pathway activation and ensure optimally scaled and patterned tissue growth.


eLife ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pengfei Guo ◽  
Chang-Hyun Lee ◽  
Huiyan Lei ◽  
Yonggang Zheng ◽  
Katiuska Daniela Pulgar Prieto ◽  
...  

The Hippo tumor suppressor pathway regulates tissue growth in Drosophila by restricting the activity of the transcriptional coactivator Yorkie (Yki), which normally complexes with the TEF/TEAD family DNA-binding transcription factor Scalloped (Sd) to drive the expression of growth-promoting genes. Given its pivotal role as a central hub in mediating the transcriptional output of Hippo signaling, there is great interest in understanding the molecular regulation of the Sd-Yki complex. In this study, we identify Nerfin-1 as a transcriptional repressor that antagonizes the activity of the Sd-Yki complex by binding to the TEA DNA-binding domain of Sd. Consistent with its biochemical function, ectopic expression of Nerfin-1 results in tissue undergrowth in an Sd-dependent manner. Conversely, loss of Nerfin-1 enhances the ability of winner cells to eliminate loser cells in multiple scenarios of cell competition. We further show that INSM1, the mammalian ortholog of Nerfin-1, plays a conserved role in repressing the activity of the TEAD-YAP complex. These findings reveal a novel regulatory mode converging on the transcriptional output of the Hippo pathway that may be exploited for modulating the YAP oncoprotein in cancer and regenerative medicine.


2018 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sung Jun Bae ◽  
Xuelian Luo

First discovered two decades ago through genetic screens in Drosophila, the Hippo pathway has been shown to be conserved in metazoans and controls organ size and tissue homeostasis through regulating the balance between cell proliferation and apoptosis. Dysregulation of the Hippo pathway leads to aberrant tissue growth and tumorigenesis. Extensive studies in Drosophila and mammals have identified the core components of Hippo signaling, which form a central kinase cascade to ultimately control gene expression. Here, we review recent structural, biochemical, and cellular studies that have revealed intricate phosphorylation-dependent mechanisms in regulating the formation and activation of the core kinase complex in the Hippo pathway. These studies have established the dimerization-mediated activation of the Hippo kinase (mammalian Ste20-like 1 and 2 (MST1/2) in mammals), the dynamic scaffolding and allosteric roles of adaptor proteins in downstream kinase activation, and the importance of multisite linker autophosphorylation by Hippo and MST1/2 in fine-tuning the signaling strength and robustness of the Hippo pathway. We highlight the gaps in our knowledge in this field that will require further mechanistic studies.


eLife ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sobhika Agarwala ◽  
Sandra Duquesne ◽  
Kun Liu ◽  
Anton Boehm ◽  
Lin Grimm ◽  
...  

During development, proliferation must be tightly controlled for organs to reach their appropriate size. While the Hippo signaling pathway plays a major role in organ growth control, how it senses and responds to increased cell density is still unclear. In this study, we use the zebrafish lateral line primordium (LLP), a group of migrating epithelial cells that form sensory organs, to understand how tissue growth is controlled during organ formation. Loss of the cell junction-associated Motin protein Amotl2a leads to overproliferation and bigger LLP, affecting the final pattern of sensory organs. Amotl2a function in the LLP is mediated together by the Hippo pathway effector Yap1 and the Wnt/β-catenin effector Lef1. Our results implicate for the first time the Hippo pathway in size regulation in the LL system. We further provide evidence that the Hippo/Motin interaction is essential to limit tissue size during development.


2011 ◽  
Vol 193 (4) ◽  
pp. 633-642 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra Habbig ◽  
Malte P. Bartram ◽  
Roman U. Müller ◽  
Ricarda Schwarz ◽  
Nikolaos Andriopoulos ◽  
...  

The conserved Hippo signaling pathway regulates organ size in Drosophila melanogaster and mammals and has an essential role in tumor suppression and the control of cell proliferation. Recent studies identified activators of Hippo signaling, but antagonists of the pathway have remained largely elusive. In this paper, we show that NPHP4, a known cilia-associated protein that is mutated in the severe degenerative renal disease nephronophthisis, acts as a potent negative regulator of mammalian Hippo signaling. NPHP4 directly interacted with the kinase Lats1 and inhibited Lats1-mediated phosphorylation of the Yes-associated protein (YAP) and TAZ (transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding domain), leading to derepression of these protooncogenic transcriptional regulators. Moreover, NPHP4 induced release from 14-3-3 binding and nuclear translocation of YAP and TAZ, promoting TEA domain (TEAD)/TAZ/YAP-dependent transcriptional activity. Consistent with these data, knockdown of NPHP4 negatively affected cellular proliferation and TEAD/TAZ activity, essentially phenocopying loss of TAZ function. These data identify NPHP4 as a negative regulator of the Hippo pathway and suggest that NPHP4 regulates cell proliferation through its effects on Hippo signaling.


2019 ◽  
Vol 476 (4) ◽  
pp. 759-768 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zi Nan ◽  
Weiwei Yang ◽  
Jialan Lyu ◽  
Fang Wang ◽  
Qiannan Deng ◽  
...  

Abstract Control of organ size is a fundamental aspect in biology and plays important roles in development. The Hippo pathway is a conserved signaling cascade that controls tissue and organ size through the regulation of cell proliferation and apoptosis. Here, we report on the roles of Hcf (host cell factor), the Drosophila homolog of Host cell factor 1, in regulating the Hippo signaling pathway. Loss-of-Hcf function causes tissue undergrowth and the down-regulation of Hippo target gene expression. Genetic analysis reveals that Hcf is required for Hippo pathway-mediated overgrowth. Mechanistically, we show that Hcf associates with the histone H3 lysine-4 methyltransferase Trithorax-related (Trr) to maintain H3K4 mono- and trimethylation. Thus, we conclude that Hcf positively regulates Hippo pathway activity through forming a complex with Trr and controlling H3K4 methylation.


2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (9) ◽  
pp. 653-664
Author(s):  
Challis Karasek ◽  
Mohamed Ashry ◽  
Chad S Driscoll ◽  
Jason G Knott

Abstract In mammals, the first cell-fate decision occurs during preimplantation embryo development when the inner cell mass (ICM) and trophectoderm (TE) lineages are established. The ICM develops into the embryo proper, while the TE lineage forms the placenta. The underlying molecular mechanisms that govern lineage formation involve cell-to-cell interactions, cell polarization, cell signaling and transcriptional regulation. In this review, we will discuss the current understanding regarding the cellular and molecular events that regulate lineage formation in mouse preimplantation embryos with an emphasis on cell polarity and the Hippo signaling pathway. Moreover, we will provide an overview on some of the molecular tools that are used to manipulate the Hippo pathway and study cell-fate decisions in early embryos. Lastly, we will provide exciting future perspectives on transcriptional regulatory mechanisms that modulate the activity of the Hippo pathway in preimplantation embryos to ensure robust lineage segregation.


Cancers ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 2438 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sahar Sarmasti Emami ◽  
Derek Zhang ◽  
Xiaolong Yang

The Hippo pathway is an emerging tumor suppressor signaling pathway involved in a wide range of cellular processes. Dysregulation of different components of the Hippo signaling pathway is associated with a number of diseases including cancer. Therefore, identification of the Hippo pathway regulators and the underlying mechanism of its regulation may be useful to uncover new therapeutics for cancer therapy. The Hippo signaling pathway includes a set of kinases that phosphorylate different proteins in order to phosphorylate and inactivate its main downstream effectors, YAP and TAZ. Thus, modulating phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of the Hippo components by kinases and phosphatases play critical roles in the regulation of the signaling pathway. While information regarding kinase regulation of the Hippo pathway is abundant, the role of phosphatases in regulating this pathway is just beginning to be understood. In this review, we summarize the most recent reports on the interaction of phosphatases and the Hippo pathway in tumorigenesis. We have also introduced challenges in clarifying the role of phosphatases in the Hippo pathway and future direction of crosstalk between phosphatases and the Hippo pathway.


eLife ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sung Jun Bae ◽  
Lisheng Ni ◽  
Adam Osinski ◽  
Diana R Tomchick ◽  
Chad A Brautigam ◽  
...  

The Hippo pathway controls tissue growth and homeostasis through a central MST-LATS kinase cascade. The scaffold protein SAV1 promotes the activation of this kinase cascade, but the molecular mechanisms remain unknown. Here, we discover SAV1-mediated inhibition of the PP2A complex STRIPAKSLMAP as a key mechanism of MST1/2 activation. SLMAP binding to autophosphorylated MST2 linker recruits STRIPAK and promotes PP2A-mediated dephosphorylation of MST2 at the activation loop. Our structural and biochemical studies reveal that SAV1 and MST2 heterodimerize through their SARAH domains. Two SAV1–MST2 heterodimers further dimerize through SAV1 WW domains to form a heterotetramer, in which MST2 undergoes trans-autophosphorylation. SAV1 directly binds to STRIPAK and inhibits its phosphatase activity, protecting MST2 activation-loop phosphorylation. Genetic ablation of SLMAP in human cells leads to spontaneous activation of the Hippo pathway and alleviates the need for SAV1 in Hippo signaling. Thus, SAV1 promotes Hippo activation through counteracting the STRIPAKSLMAP PP2A phosphatase complex.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. e201900381 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephan U Gerlach ◽  
Moritz Sander ◽  
Shilin Song ◽  
Héctor Herranz

One of the fundamental issues in biology is understanding how organ size is controlled. Tissue growth has to be carefully regulated to generate well-functioning organs, and defects in growth control can result in tumor formation. The Hippo signaling pathway is a universal growth regulator and has been implicated in cancer. In Drosophila, the Hippo pathway acts through the miRNA bantam to regulate cell proliferation and apoptosis. Even though the bantam targets regulating apoptosis have been determined, the target genes controlling proliferation have not been identified thus far. In this study, we identify the gene tribbles as a direct bantam target gene. Tribbles limits cell proliferation by suppressing G2/M transition. We show that tribbles regulation by bantam is central in controlling tissue growth and tumorigenesis. We expand our study to other cell cycle regulators and show that deregulated G2/M transition can collaborate with oncogene activation driving tumor formation.


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