The Hippo pathway regulates Wnt/beta-catenin signaling.

Several developmental pathways contribute to processes that regulate tissue growth and organ size. The Hippo pathway has emerged as one such critical regulator. However, how Hippo signaling is integrated with other pathways to coordinate these processes remains unclear. Here, we show that the Hippo pathway restricts Wnt/beta-Catenin signaling by promoting an interaction between TAZ and DVL in the cytoplasm. TAZ inhibits the CK1delta/epsilon-mediated phosphorylation of DVL, thereby inhibiting Wnt/beta-Catenin signaling. Abrogation of TAZ levels or Hippo signaling enhances Wnt3A-stimulated DVL phosphorylation, nuclear beta-Catenin, and Wnt target gene expression. Mice lacking Taz develop polycystic kidneys with enhanced cytoplasmic and nuclear beta-Catenin. Moreover, in Drosophila, Hippo signaling modulates Wg target gene expression. These results uncover a cytoplasmic function of TAZ in regulating Wnt signaling and highlight the role of the Hippo pathway in coordinating morphogenetic signaling with growth control.

Regulation of planar cell polarity by Smurf ubiquitin ligases.

Planar cell polarity (PCP) is critical for morphogenesis in metazoans. PCP in vertebrates regulates stereocilia alignment in neurosensory cells of the cochlea and closure of the neural tube through convergence and extension movements (CE). Noncanonical Wnt morphogens regulate PCP and CE in vertebrates, but the molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Smurfs are ubiquitin ligases that regulate signaling, cell polarity and motility through spatiotemporally restricted ubiquitination of diverse substrates. Here, we report an unexpected role for Smurfs in controlling PCP and CE. Mice mutant for Smurf1 and Smurf2 display PCP defects in the cochlea and CE defects that include a failure to close the neural tube. Further, we show that Smurfs engage in a noncanonical Wnt signaling pathway that targets the core PCP protein Prickle1 for ubiquitin-mediated degradation. Our work thus uncovers ubiquitin ligases in a mechanistic link between noncanonical Wnt signaling and PCP/CE.

Inhibition of Nodal signalling by Lefty mediated through interaction with common receptors and efficient diffusion.

BACKGROUND: Two TGFbeta-related proteins, Nodal and Lefty, are implicated in early embryonic patterning of vertebrates. Genetic data suggest that Nodal is a signalling molecule, while Lefty is an antagonist of Nodal, but their precise function remains unknown. RESULTS: The signalling pathway of Nodal was investigated with the use of a Nodal-responsive assay system based on frog animal caps. Expression of dominant negative mutants of various receptors indicated that ALK4, and either ActRIIA or ActRIIB, function as type I and type II receptors for Nodal, respectively. A soluble form of Cripto lacking the COOH-terminal region interacted with Nodal but failed to mediate Nodal signalling, indicating that the native Cripto protein functions as a membrane-bound co-receptor for Nodal. Processed forms of Lefty proteins, both smaller and larger forms, inhibited Nodal signalling. Such Lefty-induced inhibition was rescued by excess ActRIIA or ActRIIB, suggesting that Lefty antagonizes Nodal signalling through competitive binding to the common receptor ActRIIA or ActRIIB. This idea was supported by the demonstration of a genetic interaction between lefty2 and ActRIIB in mouse. Behaviours of GFP-Nodal and GFP-Lefty2 proteins were also investigated in chick embryos. Both proteins could diffuse over a long distance, but the latter diffused faster than the former. CONCLUSIONS: Efficient inhibition of Nodal signals by Lefty may involve competitive binding of Lefty to the common receptors and faster diffusion of Lefty.