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De Novo Generation of Somatic Stem Cells by YAP/TAZ
Published on: May 7, 2018
Yap controls stem/progenitor cell proliferation in the mouse postnatal epidermis
Annemiek Beverdam1, Christina Claxton, Xiaomeng Zhang
1School for Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. a.beverdam@uq.edu.au
The Journal of Investigative Dermatology
|November 30, 2012
Summary
The yes-associated protein (YAP) acts as a molecular switch for epidermal stem cell activation. YAP controls the balance between skin stem cell proliferation and differentiation, offering potential therapeutic targets for skin diseases.
Area of Science:
- Dermatology
- Molecular Biology
- Developmental Biology
Background:
- Skin epithelium renewal relies on stem/progenitor cell activity.
- The Hippo pathway, including its effector YAP, is crucial for stem cell regulation across species.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of yes-associated protein (YAP) in postnatal epidermal stem/progenitor cell activation.
- To elucidate the function of YAP in regulating epidermal homeostasis.
Main Methods:
- Utilized transgenic mice to overexpress a truncated YAP mutant in the basal epidermis.
- Analyzed the effects on epidermal stem/progenitor cell populations and differentiation.
Main Results:
- Yes-associated protein (YAP) is active in postnatal epidermal stem/progenitor cells.
- Overexpression of a YAP mutant led to significant expansion of these cell populations.
- The C-terminus of YAP is critical for regulating the proliferation-differentiation balance.
Conclusions:
- Yes-associated protein (YAP) functions as a molecular switch for epidermal stem cell activation.
- YAP plays a key role in maintaining postnatal interfollicular epidermis homeostasis.
- YAP represents a potential therapeutic target for skin conditions like cancer, psoriasis, and epidermolysis bullosa.
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