The Role of Hippo Signaling Pathway in the Development of the Nervous System

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Xifan Li ◽  
Kaixuan Li ◽  
Yu Chen ◽  
Fang Fang

Hippo signaling pathway is a highly conserved and crucial signaling pathway that controls the size of tissues and organs by regulating the proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis of cells. The nervous system is a complicated system that participates in information collection, integration, and procession. The balance of various aspects of the nervous system is vital for the normal regulation of physiological conditions of the body, like the population and distribution of nerve cells, nerve connections, and so on. Defects in these aspects may lead to cognitive, behavioral, and neurological dysfunction, resulting in various nervous system diseases. Recently, accumulating evidence proposes that Hippo pathway maintains numerous biological functions in the nervous system development, including modulating the proliferation and differentiation of nerve cells and promoting the development of synapse, corpus callosum, and cortex. In this review, we will summarize recent findings of Hippo pathway in the nervous system to improve our understanding on its function and to provide potential therapeutic strategies of nervous system diseases in the future.

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.


2015 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 957-968 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cheng Xiang ◽  
Jia Li ◽  
Liaoliao Hu ◽  
Jian Huang ◽  
Tao Luo ◽  
...  

Background: The Hippo signaling pathway, a highly conserved cell signaling system, exists in most multicellular organisms and regulates cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. It has been reported that the members of Hippo signaling are expressed in mammalian ovaries, but the exact functions of this pathway in primordial follicle development remains unclear. Methods: To analyze the spatio-temporal correlation between the core component of Hippo pathway and the size of primordial follicle pool, Western blot, Real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry were used, and the expression and localization of MST1, LATS2 and YAP1 mRNA and protein were examined in 3 d, 1 m, 5 m, 16 m postnatal mice ovary and the culture model of mice primordial follicle in vitro. Results: Both the protein and mRNA expression of the MST1 and LATS2 were decreased significantly as mouse age increased (p < 0.05), however, the mRNA expression of them increased significantly in 16 m compared with 5 m as well as the protein expression of LATS2.The expression of YAP showed the opposite trend, and the significant protein expression of pYAP was increased before 1 m, after which no significant change was observed. Moreover, the ratio of pYAP/YAP decreased significantly. Culturing ovaries for 8 d in vitro resulted in the activation of primordial follicles in 3 d postnatal mice ovaries, and these developed into primary follicles with the expression of PCNA increasing significantly (p < 0.05). The mRNA and protein expression of MST and LATS decreased significantly (p < 0.05), and the expression of YAP increased significantly (p < 0.05, p < 0.01), whereas the ratio of pYAP/YAP decreased significantly (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The above results reveal that the expression of the core components of Hippo pathway changed during mouse follicular development, especially before and after primordial follicle activation in vitro. The primordial follicle activation may be related to the significant decrease of the ratio of pYAP1/YAP1. In conclusion, Hippo signaling pathway expressed in mice ovaries and have spatio-temporal correlation with the size of primordial follicle pool.


Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 306
Author(s):  
Verena Höffken ◽  
Anke Hermann ◽  
Hermann Pavenstädt ◽  
Joachim Kremerskothen

The Hippo signaling pathway is known to regulate cell differentiation, proliferation and apoptosis. Whereas activation of the Hippo signaling pathway leads to phosphorylation and cytoplasmic retention of the transcriptional coactivator YAP, decreased Hippo signaling results in nuclear import of YAP and subsequent transcription of pro-proliferative genes. Hence, a dynamic and precise regulation of the Hippo signaling pathway is crucial for organ size control and the prevention of tumor formation. The transcriptional activity of YAP is controlled by a growing number of upstream regulators including the family of WWC proteins. WWC1, WWC2 and WWC3 represent cytosolic scaffolding proteins involved in intracellular transport processes and different signal transduction pathways. Earlier in vitro experiments demonstrated that WWC proteins positively regulate the Hippo pathway via the activation of large tumor suppressor kinases 1/2 (LATS1/2) kinases and the subsequent cytoplasmic accumulation of phosphorylated YAP. Later, reduced WWC expression and subsequent high YAP activity were shown to correlate with the progression of human cancer in different organs. Although the function of WWC proteins as upstream regulators of Hippo signaling was confirmed in various studies, their important role as tumor modulators is often overlooked. This review has been designed to provide an update on the published data linking WWC1, WWC2 and WWC3 to cancer, with a focus on Hippo pathway-dependent mechanisms.


Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 318
Author(s):  
Renya Zeng ◽  
Jixin Dong

Chemotherapy represents one of the most efficacious strategies to treat cancer patients, bringing advantageous changes at least temporarily even to those patients with incurable malignancies. However, most patients respond poorly after a certain number of cycles of treatment due to the development of drug resistance. Resistance to drugs administrated to cancer patients greatly limits the benefits that patients can achieve and continues to be a severe clinical difficulty. Among the mechanisms which have been uncovered to mediate anti-cancer drug resistance, the Hippo signaling pathway is gaining increasing attention due to the remarkable oncogenic activities of its components (for example, YAP and TAZ) and their druggable properties. This review will highlight current understanding of how the Hippo signaling pathway regulates anti-cancer drug resistance in tumor cells, and currently available pharmacological interventions targeting the Hippo pathway to eradicate malignant cells and potentially treat cancer patients.


2019 ◽  
Vol 101 (5) ◽  
pp. 1001-1017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michele R Plewes ◽  
Xiaoying Hou ◽  
Pan Zhang ◽  
Aixin Liang ◽  
Guohua Hua ◽  
...  

Abstract Yes-associated protein 1 (YAP1) is a major component of the Hippo signaling pathway. Although the exact extracellular signals that control the Hippo pathway are currently unknown, increasing evidence supports a critical role for the Hippo pathway in embryonic development, regulation of organ size, and carcinogenesis. Granulosa cells (GCs) within the ovarian follicle proliferate and produce steroids and growth factors, which facilitate the growth of follicle and maturation of the oocyte. We hypothesize that YAP1 plays a role in proliferation and estrogen secretion of GCs. In the current study, we examined the expression of the Hippo signaling pathway in bovine ovaries and determined whether it was important for GC proliferation and estrogen production. Mammalian STE20-like protein kinase 1 (MST1) and large tumor suppressor kinase 2 (LATS2) were identified as prominent upstream components of the Hippo pathway expressed in granulosa and theca cells of the follicle and large and small cells of the corpus luteum. Immunohistochemistry revealed that YAP1 was localized to the nucleus of growing follicles. In vitro, nuclear localization of the downstream Hippo signaling effector proteins YAP1 and transcriptional co-activator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ) was inversely correlated with GC density, with greater nuclear localization under conditions of low cell density. Treatment with verteporfin and siRNA targeting YAP1 or TAZ revealed a critical role for these transcriptional co-activators in GC proliferation. Furthermore, knockdown of YAP1 in GCs inhibited follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)-induced estradiol biosynthesis. The data indicate that Hippo pathway transcription co-activators YAP1/TAZ play an important role in GC proliferation and estradiol synthesis, two processes necessary for maintaining normal follicle development.


Database ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chengyu Wang ◽  
Fan Yang ◽  
Tingting Chen ◽  
Qi Dong ◽  
Zhangxiang Zhao ◽  
...  

Abstract The Hippo signaling pathway is a highly conserved pathway controlling organ size, cell proliferation, apoptosis and other biological functions. Recent studies have shown that Hippo signaling pathway also plays important roles in cancer initiation and progression. However, a database offering multi-omics analyses and visualization of Hippo pathway genes in cancer, as well as comprehensive Hippo regulatory relationships is still lacking. To fill this gap, we constructed the Regulation of the Hippo Pathway in Cancer Genome (RHPCG) database. Currently, RHPCG focuses on analyzing the 21 core Hippo-protein-encoding genes in over 10 000 patients across 33 TCGA (The Cancer Genome Atlas) cancer types at the levels of genomic, epigenomic and transcriptomic landscape. Concurrently, RHPCG provides in its motif section 11 regulatory motif types associated with 21 core Hippo pathway genes containing 180 miRNAs, 6182 lncRNAs, 728 circRNAs and 335 protein coding genes. Thus, RHPCG is a powerful tool that could help researchers understand gene alterations and regulatory mechanisms in the Hippo signaling pathway in cancer.


Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 184
Author(s):  
Konstantin Masliantsev ◽  
Lucie Karayan-Tapon ◽  
Pierre-Olivier Guichet

The Hippo signaling pathway is a highly conserved pathway involved in tissue development and regeneration that controls organ size through the regulation of cell proliferation and apoptosis. The core Hippo pathway is composed of a block of kinases, MST1/2 (Mammalian STE20-like protein kinase 1/2) and LATS1/2 (Large tumor suppressor 1/2), which inhibits nuclear translocation of YAP/TAZ (Yes-Associated Protein 1/Transcriptional co-activator with PDZ-binding motif) and its downstream association with the TEAD (TEA domain) family of transcription factors. This pathway was recently shown to be involved in tumorigenesis and metastasis in several cancers such as lung, breast, or colorectal cancers but is still poorly investigated in brain tumors. Gliomas are the most common and the most lethal primary brain tumors representing about 80% of malignant central nervous system neoplasms. Despite intensive clinical protocol, the prognosis for patients remains very poor due to systematic relapse and treatment failure. Growing evidence demonstrating the role of Hippo signaling in cancer biology and the lack of efficient treatments for malignant gliomas support the idea that this pathway could represent a potential target paving the way for alternative therapeutics. Based on recent advances in the Hippo pathway deciphering, the main goal of this review is to highlight the role of this pathway in gliomas by a state-of-the-art synthesis.


2014 ◽  
Vol 307 (2) ◽  
pp. G196-G204 ◽  
Author(s):  
James L. Grijalva ◽  
Megan Huizenga ◽  
Kaly Mueller ◽  
Steven Rodriguez ◽  
Joseph Brazzo ◽  
...  

The Hippo signaling pathway has been implicated in mammalian organ size regulation and tumor suppression. Specifically, the Hippo pathway plays a critical role regulating the activity of transcriptional coactivator Yes-associated protein (YAP), which modulates a proliferative transcriptional program. Recent investigations have demonstrated that while this pathway is activated in quiescent livers, its inhibition leads to liver overgrowth and tumorigenesis. However, the role of the Hippo pathway during the natural process of liver regeneration remains unknown. Here we investigated alterations in the Hippo signaling pathway and YAP activation during liver regeneration using a 70% partial hepatectomy (PH) rat model. Our results indicate an increase in YAP activation by 1 day following PH as demonstrated by increased YAP nuclear localization and increased YAP target gene expression. Investigation of the Hippo pathway revealed a decrease in the activation of core kinases Mst1/2 by 1 day as well as Lats1/2 and its adapter protein Mob1 by 3 days following PH. Evaluation of liver-to-body weight ratios indicated that the liver reaches its near normal size by 7 days following PH, which correlated with a return to baseline YAP nuclear levels and target gene expression. Additionally, when liver size was restored, Mst1/2 kinase activation returned to levels observed in quiescent livers indicating reactivation of the Hippo signaling pathway. These findings illustrate the dynamic changes in the Hippo signaling pathway and YAP activation during liver regeneration, which stabilize when the liver-to-body weight ratio reaches homeostatic levels.


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