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Updated: Mar 8, 2026
07:16
Monitoring Hippo Signaling Pathway Activity Using a Luciferase-based Large Tumor Suppressor LATS Biosensor
Published on: September 13, 2018
20.8K
Structural Insights into the Regulation of Hippo Signaling
Leah Cairns1, Thao Tran1, Jennifer M Kavran1
1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bloomberg School of Public Health and ‡Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University , Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States.
ACS Chemical Biology
|February 3, 2017
Summary
The Hippo pathway controls organ size by balancing cell growth and death. Structural studies reveal how its components interact and change shape, offering insights into cancer and stem cell regulation.
Area of Science:
- Molecular biology
- Cell biology
- Structural biology
Background:
- The Hippo pathway is a crucial regulator of organ size, balancing cell proliferation and apoptosis.
- Dysregulation of Hippo signaling is linked to stem cell maintenance issues, tumorigenesis, and cancer.
- Core pathway components and regulatory events like complex formation and phosphorylation have been identified.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent structural advances in understanding Hippo pathway regulation.
- To elucidate molecular mechanisms governing YAP-TEAD complex formation and Mob-mediated phosphorylation.
- To discuss conformational changes in Mst1/2 kinase activation and identify future research directions.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of high-resolution structures of Hippo pathway components.
- Revisiting and integrating previous structural data.
- Comparative analysis of structural changes associated with pathway regulation.
Main Results:
- Detailed molecular determinants of YAP-TEAD complex formation revealed.
- Structural insights into Mob-mediated phosphorylation controlling complex formation.
- Understanding of conformational changes in Mst1/2 kinase domain activation.
Conclusions:
- Structural biology provides critical mechanistic insights into Hippo pathway regulation.
- Understanding these structural dynamics is key to addressing cancer and stem cell biology.
- Further structural studies are needed to fully elucidate pathway regulation and identify therapeutic targets.
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