Role of YAP/TAZ in Cell Lineage Fate Determination and Related Signaling Pathways

Boon C Heng; Xuehui Zhang; Dominique Aubel; Yunyang Bai; Xiaochan Li; Yan Wei; Martin Fussenegger; Xuliang Deng

doi:10.3389/fcell.2020.00735

Role of YAP/TAZ in Cell Lineage Fate Determination and Related Signaling Pathways

Front Cell Dev Biol. 2020 Jul 30:8:735. doi: 10.3389/fcell.2020.00735. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Boon C Heng^{1

2}, Xuehui Zhang^{3

4}, Dominique Aubel⁵, Yunyang Bai⁶, Xiaochan Li⁶, Yan Wei⁶, Martin Fussenegger⁷, Xuliang Deng^{4

6}

Affiliations

¹ Central Laboratory, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing, China.
² Faculty of Science and Technology, Sunway University, Subang Jaya, Malaysia.
³ Department of Dental Materials & Dental Medical Devices Testing Center, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing, China.
⁴ National Engineering Laboratory for Digital and Material Technology of Stomatology, NMPA Key Laboratory for Dental Materials, Beijing Laboratory of Biomedical Materials, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing, China.
⁵ IUTA Department Genie Biologique, Universite Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, France.
⁶ Department of Geriatric Dentistry, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing, China.
⁷ Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH-Zürich, Basel, Switzerland.

Abstract

The penultimate effectors of the Hippo signaling pathways YAP and TAZ, are transcriptional co-activator proteins that play key roles in many diverse biological processes, ranging from cell proliferation, tumorigenesis, mechanosensing and cell lineage fate determination, to wound healing and regeneration. In this review, we discuss the regulatory mechanisms by which YAP/TAZ control stem/progenitor cell differentiation into the various major lineages that are of interest to tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications. Of particular interest is the key role of YAP/TAZ in maintaining the delicate balance between quiescence, self-renewal, proliferation and differentiation of endogenous adult stem cells within various tissues/organs during early development, normal homeostasis and regeneration/healing. Finally, we will consider how increasing knowledge of YAP/TAZ signaling might influence the trajectory of future progress in regenerative medicine.

Keywords: Hippo; TAZ; YAP; differentiation; signaling; stem cells.

Publication types

Review