Overexpression of transcription factor TBX5 inhibits the activation of YAP1-TEAD1 pathway to promote ferroptosis in lung cancer cells.

BACKGROUND: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for more than 80 % of lung cancer (LC) cases, making it the primary cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. T-box transcription factor 5 (TBX5) is an important regulator of embryonic and organ development and plays a key role in cancer development. Here, our objective was to investigate the involvement of TBX5 in ferroptosis within LC cells and the underlying mechanisms. METHODS: First, TBX5 expression was examined in human LC cells. Next, overexpression of TBX5 and Yes1-associated transcriptional regulator (YAP1) and knockdown of TEA domain 1 (TEAD1) were performed in A549 and NCI-H1703 cells. The proliferation ability of A549 and NCI-H1703 cells, GSH, MDA, ROS, and Fe2+ levels were measured. Co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) was performed to verify whether TBX5 protein could bind YAP1. Then TBX5, YAP1, TEAD1, GPX4, p53, FTH1, SLC7A11 and PTGS2 protein levels were assessed. Finally, we verified the effect of TBX5 on ferroptosis in LC cells in vivo. RESULTS: TBX5 expression was down-regulated in LC cells, especially in A549 and NCI-H1703 cells. Overexpression of TBX5 significantly decreased proliferation ability of A549 and NCI-H1703 cells, downregulated GPX4 and GSH levels, and upregulated MDA, ROS, and Fe2+ levels. Co-IP verified that TBX5 protein could bind YAP1. Moreover, oe-YAP1 promoted proliferation ability of A549 and NCI-H1703 cells transfected with Lv-TBX5, upregulated GPX4 and GSH levels and downregulated MDA, ROS, and Fe2+ levels. Additionally, oe-YAP1 promoted FTH1 and SLC7A11 levels and inhibited p53 and PTGS2 levels in A549 and NCI-H1703 cells transfected with Lv-TBX5. However, transfection with si-TEAD1 further reversed these effects. In vivo experiments further validated that TBX5 promoted ferroptosis in LC cells. CONCLUSIONS: TBX5 inhibited the activation of YAP1-TEAD1 pathway to promote ferroptosis in LC cells.

MKLN1-AS promotes pancreatic cancer progression as a crucial downstream mediator of HIF-1α through miR-185-5p/TEAD1 pathway.

In pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDAC), profound hypoxia plays key roles in regulating cancer cell behavior, including proliferation, migration, and resistance to therapies. The initial part of this research highlights the important role played by long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) MKLN1-AS, which is controlled by hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α), in the progression of PDAC. Human samples of PDAC showed a notable increase in MKLN1-AS expression, which was linked to a worse outcome. Forced expression of MKLN1-AS greatly reduced the inhibitory impact on the growth and spread of PDAC cells caused by HIF-1α depletion. Experiments on mechanisms showed that HIF-1α influences the expression of MKLN1-AS by directly attaching to a hypoxia response element in the promoter region of MKLN1-AS.MKLN1-AS acts as a competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) by binding to miR-185-5p, resulting in the regulation of TEAD1 expression and promoting cell proliferation, migration, and tumor growth. TEAD1 subsequently enhances the development of PDAC. Our study results suggest that MKLN1-AS could serve as a promising target for treatment and a valuable indicator for predicting outcomes in PDAC. PDAC is associated with low oxygen levels, and the long non-coding RNA MKLN1-AS interacts with TEAD1 in this context.

TM7SF3 controls TEAD1 splicing to prevent MASH-induced liver fibrosis.

The mechanisms of hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation and the development of liver fibrosis are not fully understood. Here, we show that deletion of a nuclear seven transmembrane protein, TM7SF3, accelerates HSC activation in liver organoids, primary human HSCs, and in vivo in metabolic-dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) mice, leading to activation of the fibrogenic program and HSC proliferation. Thus, TM7SF3 knockdown promotes alternative splicing of the Hippo pathway transcription factor, TEAD1, by inhibiting the splicing factor heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein U (hnRNPU). This results in the exclusion of the inhibitory exon 5, generating a more active form of TEAD1 and triggering HSC activation. Furthermore, inhibiting TEAD1 alternative splicing with a specific antisense oligomer (ASO) deactivates HSCs in vitro and reduces MASH diet-induced liver fibrosis. In conclusion, by inhibiting TEAD1 alternative splicing, TM7SF3 plays a pivotal role in mitigating HSC activation and the progression of MASH-related fibrosis.

OTUD6A orchestrates complex modulation of TEAD4-mediated transcriptional programs.

TEAD transcription factors play a central role in the Hippo signaling pathway. In this study, we focused on transcriptional enhancer factor TEF-3 (TEAD4), exploring its regulation by the deubiquitinase OTU domain-containing protein 6A (OTUD6A). We identified OTUD6A as a TEAD4-interacting deubiquitinase, positively influencing TEAD-driven transcription without altering TEAD4 stability. Structural analyses revealed specific interaction domains: the N-terminal domain of OTUD6A and the YAP-binding domain of TEAD4. Functional assays demonstrated the positive impact of OTUD6A on the transcription of YAP-TEAD target genes. Despite no impact on TEAD4 nuclear localization, OTUD6A selectively modulated nuclear interactions, enhancing YAP-TEAD4 complex formation while suppressing VGLL4 (transcription cofactor vestigial-like protein 4)-TEAD4 interaction. Critically, OTUD6A facilitated YAP-TEAD4 complex binding to target gene promoters. Our study unveils the regulatory landscape of OTUD6A on TEAD4, providing insights into diseases regulated by YAP-TEAD complexes.

Defining a TFAP2C-centered transcription factor network during murine peri-implantation.

Transcription factors (TFs) play important roles in early embryonic development, but factors regulating TF action, relationships in signaling cascade, genome-wide localizations, and impacts on cell fate transitions during this process have not been clearly elucidated. In this study, we used uliCUT&RUN-seq to delineate a TFAP2C-centered regulatory network, showing that it involves promoter-enhancer interactions and regulates TEAD4 and KLF5 function to mediate cell polarization. Notably, we found that maternal retinoic acid metabolism regulates TFAP2C expression and function by inducing the active demethylation of SINEs, indicating that the RARG-TFAP2C-TEAD4/KLF5 axis connects the maternal-to-zygotic transition to polarization. Moreover, we found that both genomic imprinting and SNP-transferred genetic information can influence TF positioning to regulate parental gene expressions in a sophisticated manner. In summary, we propose a ternary model of TF regulation in murine embryonic development with TFAP2C as the core element and metabolic, epigenetic, and genetic information as nodes connecting the pathways.

Allosteric Modulation of the YAP/TAZ-TEAD Interaction by Palmitoylation and Small-Molecule Inhibitors.

The Hippo signaling pathway is a highly conserved signaling network that plays a central role in regulating cellular growth, proliferation, and organ size. This pathway consists of a kinase cascade that integrates various upstream signals to control the activation or inactivation of YAP/TAZ proteins. Phosphorylated YAP/TAZ is sequestered in the cytoplasm; however, when the Hippo pathway is deactivated, it translocates into the nucleus, where it associates with TEAD transcription factors. This partnership is instrumental in regulating the transcription of progrowth and antiapoptotic genes. Thus, in many cancers, aberrantly hyperactivated YAP/TAZ promotes oncogenesis by contributing to cancer cell proliferation, metastasis, and therapy resistance. Because YAP and TAZ exert their oncogenic effects by binding with TEAD, it is critical to understand this key interaction to develop cancer therapeutics. Previous research has indicated that TEAD undergoes autopalmitoylation at a conserved cysteine, and small molecules that inhibit TEAD palmitoylation disrupt effective YAP/TAZ binding. However, how exactly palmitoylation contributes to YAP/TAZ-TEAD interactions and how the TEAD palmitoylation inhibitors disrupt this interaction remains unknown. Utilizing molecular dynamics simulations, our investigation not only provides detailed atomistic insight into the YAP/TAZ-TEAD dynamics but also unveils that the inhibitor studied influences the binding of YAP and TAZ to TEAD in distinct manners. This discovery has significant implications for the design and deployment of future molecular interventions targeting this interaction.

TEAD2 initiates ground-state pluripotency by mediating chromatin looping.

The transition of mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) between serum/LIF and 2i(MEK and GSK3 kinase inhibitor)/LIF culture conditions serves as a valuable model for exploring the mechanisms underlying ground and confused pluripotent states. Regulatory networks comprising core and ancillary pluripotency factors drive the gene expression programs defining stable naïve pluripotency. In our study, we systematically screened factors essential for ESC pluripotency, identifying TEAD2 as an ancillary factor maintaining ground-state pluripotency in 2i/LIF ESCs and facilitating the transition from serum/LIF to 2i/LIF ESCs. TEAD2 exhibits increased binding to chromatin in 2i/LIF ESCs, targeting active chromatin regions to regulate the expression of 2i-specific genes. In addition, TEAD2 facilitates the expression of 2i-specific genes by mediating enhancer-promoter interactions during the serum/LIF to 2i/LIF transition. Notably, deletion of Tead2 results in reduction of a specific set of enhancer-promoter interactions without significantly affecting binding of chromatin architecture proteins, CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF), and Yin Yang 1 (YY1). In summary, our findings highlight a novel prominent role of TEAD2 in orchestrating higher-order chromatin structures of 2i-specific genes to sustain ground-state pluripotency.

Upregulation of CYR61 by TGF-ß and YAP signaling exerts a counter-suppression of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) and Hippo signaling are two critical pathways engaged in cancer progression by regulating both oncogenes and tumor suppressors, yet how the two pathways coordinately exert their functions in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains elusive. In this study, we firstly conducted an integrated analysis of public liver cancer databases and our experimental TGF-ß target genes, identifying CYR61 as a pivotal candidate gene relating to HCC development. The expression of CYR61 is downregulated in clinical HCC tissues and cell lines than that in the normal counterparts. Evidence revealed that CYR61 is a direct target gene of TGF-ß in liver cancer cells. In addition, TGF-ß-stimulated Smad2/3 and the Hippo pathway downstream effectors YAP and TEAD4 can form a protein complex on the promoter of CYR61, thereby activating the promoter activity and stimulating CYR61 gene transcription in a collaborative manner. Functionally, depletion of CYR61 enhanced TGF-ß- or YAP-mediated growth and migration of liver cancer cells. Consistently, ectopic expression of CYR61 was capable of impeding TGF-ß- or YAP-induced malignant transformation of HCC cells in vitro and attenuating HCC xenograft growth in nude mice. Finally, transcriptomic analysis indicates that CYR61 can elicit an antitumor program in liver cancer cells. Together, these results add new evidence for the crosstalk between TGF-ß and Hippo signaling and unveil an important tumor suppressor function of CYR61 in liver cancer.

TEA domain transcription factor 1(TEAD1) induces cardiac fibroblasts cells remodeling through BRD4/Wnt4 pathway.

Cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) are the primary cells tasked with depositing and remodeling collagen and significantly associated with heart failure (HF). TEAD1 has been shown to be essential for heart development and homeostasis. However, fibroblast endogenous TEAD1 in cardiac remodeling remains incompletely understood. Transcriptomic analyses revealed consistently upregulated cardiac TEAD1 expression in mice 4 weeks after transverse aortic constriction (TAC) and Ang-II infusion. Further investigation revealed that CFs were the primary cell type expressing elevated TEAD1 levels in response to pressure overload. Conditional TEAD1 knockout was achieved by crossing TEAD1-floxed mice with CFs- and myofibroblasts-specific Cre mice. Echocardiographic and histological analyses demonstrated that CFs- and myofibroblasts-specific TEAD1 deficiency and treatment with TEAD1 inhibitor, VT103, ameliorated TAC-induced cardiac remodeling. Mechanistically, RNA-seq and ChIP-seq analysis identified Wnt4 as a novel TEAD1 target. TEAD1 has been shown to promote the fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transition through the Wnt signalling pathway, and genetic Wnt4 knockdown inhibited the pro-transformation phenotype in CFs with TEAD1 overexpression. Furthermore, co-immunoprecipitation combined with mass spectrometry, chromatin immunoprecipitation, and luciferase assays demonstrated interaction between TEAD1 and BET protein BRD4, leading to the binding and activation of the Wnt4 promoter. In conclusion, TEAD1 is an essential regulator of the pro-fibrotic CFs phenotype associated with pathological cardiac remodeling via the BRD4/Wnt4 signalling pathway.

Mechanosignaling YAP/TAZ-TEAD Axis Regulates the Immunomodulatory Properties of Mesenchymal Stem Cells.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have gained significant attention in cell therapies due to their multipotency and immunomodulatory capacities. The transcriptional co-activators YAP/TAZ, central to the mechanotransduction system in MSCs, dominantly direct MSCs lineage commitment. However, their role in immunomodulation remains elusive. Accordingly, this present study aimed to investigate the role of mechanotransducer YAP/TAZ and their binding target transcriptional factor, TEAD, in the immunomodulatory capacities of human bone marrow-derived MSCs. Reducing YAP/TAZ activity by altering the matrix stiffness, disrupting the F-actin integrity with chemical inhibitors, or using siRNAs increased the expression of immunomodulatory genes, such as TSG-6 and IDO, upon TNF-α stimulation. Similarly, transfection of TEAD siRNA also increased the immunomodulatory capacities in MSCs. RNA-seq analysis and inhibition assays demonstrated that the immunomodulatory capacities caused by YAP/TAZ-TEAD axis disruption were due to the NF-κB signaling pathway activation. Then, we also evaluated the in vivo anti-inflammatory efficacy of MSCs in a dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced mice colitis model. The administration of human MSCs transfected with TEAD siRNA, which exhibited enhanced immunomodulatory properties in vitro, significantly ameliorated inflammatory bowel disease symptoms, such as body weight loss and acute colon inflammation, in the DSS-induced mice colitis model. Our findings underscore the mechanosignaling YAP/TAZ-TEAD axis as a regulator of MSCs immunomodulation. Targeting these signaling pathways could herald promising MSCs-based therapies for immune disorders.

Long non-coding HOXA-AS3 contributes to osteosarcoma progression through the miR-1286/TEAD1 axis.

Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) HOXA cluster antisense RNA 3 (HOXA-AS3) regulates the progression of several types of human malignancy. However, the role and potential mechanism of HOXA-AS3 in osteosarcoma (OS) remain unknown. In this study, upregulation of HOXA-AS3 was observed in OS tissues and cell lines and associated with poor clinical outcomes. Silencing of HOXA-AS3 significantly inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of OS cells in vitro and suppressed the tumorigenesis of OS cells in vivo. Furthermore, knockdown of HOXA-AS3 inhibited the proliferation and migration of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in OS. Further investigation of this mechanism revealed that HOXA-AS3 could directly upregulate the expression of TEAD1 via its competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) activity on miR-1286. This study clarified the oncogenic roles of the HOXA-AS3/miR-1286/TEAD1 axis in OS progression, suggesting a novel therapeutic target for OS.

The YAP1-TEAD axis promotes autophagy against intracellular Staphylococcus aureus in vitro.

Previously considered as an exclusive extracellular bacterium, Staphylococcus aureus has been shown to be able to invade many cells in vitro and in humans. Once inside the host cell, both cytosolic and endosome-associated S. aureus strongly induce macroautophagy/autophagy. Whether autophagy fosters S. aureus intracellular survival or clearance remains unclear. The YAP1-TEAD axis regulates the expression of target genes controlling the cell fate (e.g., proliferation, migration, cell cycle …). Growing evidence indicates that YAP1-TEAD also regulates autophagy and lysosomal pathways. Recently we showed that the YAP1-TEAD axis promotes autophagy and lysosome biogenesis to restrict S. aureus intracellular replication. We also discovered that the C3 exoenzyme-like EDIN-B toxin produced by the pathogenic S. aureus ST80 strain inhibits YAP1 nuclear translocation resulting in a strong increase of intracellular S. aureus burden.

Identification of a derivative of the alkaloid emetine as an inhibitor of the YAP-TEAD interaction and its potential as an anticancer agent.

TEAD is a transcription factor responsible for the output of the tumor suppressor Hippo pathway. The transcriptional activity of TEAD requires molecular interaction with its transcriptional coactivator, YAP. Aberrant activation of TEAD is deeply involved in tumorigenesis and is associated with poor prognosis, suggesting that inhibitors targeting the YAP-TEAD system are promising as antitumor agents. In this study, we identified NPD689, an analog of the natural product alkaloid emetine, as an inhibitor of the YAP-TEAD interaction. NPD689 suppressed the transcriptional activity of TEAD and reduced the viability of human malignant pleural mesothelioma and non-small cell lung cancer cells but not the viability of normal human mesothelial cells. Our results suggest that NPD689 is not only a new useful chemical tool for elucidating the biological role of the YAP-TEAD system but also has potential as a starting compound for developing a cancer therapeutic agent that targets the YAP-TEAD interaction.

TEAD Proteins Associate With DNA Repair Proteins to Facilitate Cellular Recovery From DNA Damage.

Transcriptional enhanced associate domain family members 1 to 4 (TEADs) are a family of four transcription factors and the major transcriptional effectors of the Hippo pathway. In order to activate transcription, TEADs rely on interactions with other proteins, such as the transcriptional effectors Yes-associated protein and transcriptional co-activator with PDZ-binding motif. Nuclear protein interactions involving TEADs influence the transcriptional regulation of genes involved in cell growth, tissue homeostasis, and tumorigenesis. Clearly, protein interactions for TEADs are functionally important, but the full repertoire of TEAD interaction partners remains unknown. Here, we employed an affinity purification mass spectrometry approach to identify nuclear interacting partners of TEADs. We performed affinity purification mass spectrometry experiment in parallel in two different cell types and compared a wildtype TEAD bait protein to a nuclear localization sequence mutant that does not localize to the nucleus. We quantified the results using SAINT analysis and found a significant enrichment of proteins linked to DNA damage including X-ray repair cross-complementing protein 5 (XRCC5), X-ray repair cross-complementing protein 6 (XRCC6), poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1), and Rap1-interacting factor 1 (RIF1). In cellular assays, we found that TEADs co-localize with DNA damage-induced nuclear foci marked by histone H2AX phosphorylated on S139 (γH2AX) and Rap1-interacting factor 1. We also found that depletion of TEAD proteins makes cells more susceptible to DNA damage by various agents and that depletion of TEADs promotes genomic instability. Additionally, depleting TEADs dampens the efficiency of DNA double-stranded break repair in reporter assays. Our results connect TEADs to DNA damage response processes, positioning DNA damage as an important avenue for further research of TEAD proteins.

Comparative expression analysis of TEADs and their splice variants in mouse embryonic stem cells.

Transcriptional enhanced associate domain (TEAD) transcription factors play important roles in embryonic stem cell (ESC) renewal and differentiation. Four TEAD transcription factors (Tead1, Tead2, Tead3 and Tead4) and their various splice variants have been discovered in mice, but the expression pattern of them during pluripotency state transition is unclear. Here, we investigated the expression of TEADs and their splice variants in mouse ESCs at different pluripotent/differentiating states and adult mouse tissues. Our results preliminarily revealed the diversity and heterogeneity of TEAD family, which is helpful for understanding their overlapping and distinctive functions. Furthermore, a novel splice variant of Tead1 was identified and named Tead1 isoform 4.

Inhibition of YAP/TAZ-driven TEAD activity prevents growth of NF2-null schwannoma and meningioma.

Schwannoma tumours typically arise on the eighth cranial nerve and are mostly caused by loss of the tumour suppressor Merlin (NF2). There are no approved chemotherapies for these tumours and the surgical removal of the tumour carries a high risk of damage to the eighth or other close cranial nerve tissue. New treatments for schwannoma and other NF2-null tumours such as meningioma are urgently required. Using a combination of human primary tumour cells and mouse models of schwannoma, we have examined the role of the Hippo signalling pathway in driving tumour cell growth. Using both genetic ablation of the Hippo effectors YAP and TAZ as well as novel TEAD palmitoylation inhibitors, we show that Hippo signalling may be successfully targeted in vitro and in vivo to both block and, remarkably, regress schwannoma tumour growth. In particular, successful use of TEAD palmitoylation inhibitors in a preclinical mouse model of schwannoma points to their potential future clinical use. We also identify the cancer stem cell marker aldehyde dehydrogenase 1A1 (ALDH1A1) as a Hippo signalling target, driven by the TAZ protein in human and mouse NF2-null schwannoma cells, as well as in NF2-null meningioma cells, and examine the potential future role of this new target in halting schwannoma and meningioma tumour growth.

FSH Regulates YAP-TEAD Transcriptional Activity in Bovine Granulosa Cells to Allow the Future Dominant Follicle to Exert Its Augmented Estrogenic Capacity.

The molecular mechanisms that drive the granulosa cells' (GC) differentiation into a more estrogenic phenotype during follicular divergence and establishment of follicle dominance have not been completely elucidated. The main Hippo signaling effector, YAP, has, however, emerged as a potential key player to explain such complex processes. Studies using rat and bovine GC demonstrate that, in conditions where the expression of the classic YAP-TEAD target gene tissue growth factor (CTGF) is augmented, CYP19A1 expression and activity and, consequently, estradiol (E2) secretion are reduced. These findings led us to hypothesize that, during ovarian follicular divergence in cattle, FSH downregulates YAP-TEAD-dependent transcriptional activity in GC to allow the future dominant follicle to exert its augmented estrogenic capacity. To address this, we performed a series of experiments employing distinct bovine models. Our in vitro and ex vivo experiments indicated that indeed FSH downregulates, in a concentration-dependent manner, mRNA levels not only for CTGF but also for the other classic YAP-TEAD transcriptional target genes ANKRD1 and CYR61 by a mechanism that involves increased YAP phosphorylation. To better elucidate the functional importance of such FSH-induced YAP activity regulation, we then cultured GC in the presence of verteporfin (VP) or peptide 17 (P17), two pharmacological inhibitors known to interfere with YAP binding to TEADs. The results showed that both VP and P17 increased CYP19A1 basal mRNA levels in a concentration-dependent manner. Most interestingly, by using GC samples obtained in vivo from dominant vs. subordinate follicles, we found that mRNA levels for CTGF, CYR61, and ANKRD1 are higher in subordinate follicles following the follicular divergence. Taken together, our novel results demonstrate that YAP transcriptional activity is regulated in bovine granulosa cells to allow the increased estrogenic capacity of the selected dominant follicle.

Pharmacological blockade of TEAD-YAP reveals its therapeutic limitation in cancer cells.

Targeting TEAD autopalmitoylation has been proposed as a therapeutic approach for YAP-dependent cancers. Here we show that TEAD palmitoylation inhibitor MGH-CP1 and analogues block cancer cell "stemness", organ overgrowth and tumor initiation in vitro and in vivo. MGH-CP1 sensitivity correlates significantly with YAP-dependency in a large panel of cancer cell lines. However, TEAD inhibition or YAP/TAZ knockdown leads to transient inhibition of cell cycle progression without inducing cell death, undermining their potential therapeutic utilities. We further reveal that TEAD inhibition or YAP/TAZ silencing leads to VGLL3-mediated transcriptional activation of SOX4/PI3K/AKT signaling axis, which contributes to cancer cell survival and confers therapeutic resistance to TEAD inhibitors. Consistently, combination of TEAD and AKT inhibitors exhibits strong synergy in inducing cancer cell death. Our work characterizes the therapeutic opportunities and limitations of TEAD palmitoylation inhibitors in cancers, and uncovers an intrinsic molecular mechanism, which confers potential therapeutic resistance.

YAP1-TEAD1 mediates the perineural invasion of prostate cancer cells induced by cancer-associated fibroblasts.

Perineural invasion (PNI) driven by the tumor microenvironment (TME) has emerged as a key pattern of metastasis of prostate cancer (PCa), while its underlying mechanism is still elusive. Here, we identified increased CAFs and YAP1 expression levels in patients with metastatic PCa. In the cultured PCa cell line LNCaP, co-culture with cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) could upregulate YAP1 protein expression. Either ectopic overexpression of YAP1 or co-culture with CAFs could promote the infiltration of LNCaPs towards dorsal root ganglia (DRG). This effect could be blocked using an YAP1 inhibitor. In vivo, overexpression of YAP1 could increase PNI in a mouse model of sciatic nerve tumor invasion. Mechanistically, TEAD1 binds to the NGF promotor and YAP1/TEAD1 activates its transcription and consequently increases NGF secretion. In turn, PCa cells treated with CM from CAFs or stable YAP1 overexpression can stimulate DRG to secrete CCL2. The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of PCa cells is thus activated via CCL2/CCR2. Overall, our data demonstrate that CAFs can activate YAP1/TEAD1 signaling and increase the secretion of NGF, therefore promoting PCa PNI. In addition, EMT induced by PNI suggests a feedback loop is present between neurons and PCa cells.

CK2-induced cooperation of HHEX with the YAP-TEAD4 complex promotes colorectal tumorigenesis.

Dysregulation of Hippo pathway leads to hyperactivation of YAP-TEAD transcriptional complex in various cancers, including colorectal cancer (CRC). In this study, we observed that HHEX (Hematopoietically expressed homeobox) may enhance transcription activity of the YAP-TEAD complex. HHEX associates with and stabilizes the YAP-TEAD complex on the regulatory genomic loci to coregulate the expression of a group of YAP/TEAD target genes. Also, HHEX may indirectly regulate these target genes by controlling YAP/TAZ expression. Importantly, HHEX is required for the pro-tumorigenic effects of YAP during CRC progression. In response to serum stimulation, CK2 (Casein Kinase 2) phosphorylates HHEX and enhances its interaction with TEAD4. A CK2 inhibitor CX-4945 diminishes the interaction between HHEX and TEAD4, leading to decreased expression of YAP/TEAD target genes. CX-4945 synergizes the antitumor activity of YAP-TEAD inhibitors verteporfin and Super-TDU. Elevated expression of HHEX is correlated with hyperactivation of YAP/TEAD and associated with poor prognosis of CRC patients. Overall, our study identifies HHEX as a positive modulator of YAP/TEAD to promote colorectal tumorigenesis, providing a new therapeutic strategy for targeting YAP/TEAD in CRC.