Hippo pathway cooperates with ChREBP to regulate hepatic glucose utilization

Hippo pathway plays a crucial role as a regulator of organ size and tumorigenesis that negatively regulates cell growth and survival. Recently lots of evidences show that Hippo pathway plays a crucial role in glucose metabolic metabolism to regulate energy status with cell growth. However, the detailed mechanism is still unclear. Here we report that Yes-associated protein (YAP), the terminal effector of Hippo pathway, interacts with carbohydrate response element binding protein (ChREBP) in the nucleus of the hepatocytes thereby promoting glycolysis and lipogenesis. A high carbohydrate (HCHO) diet could inactivate the Hippo pathway and encourage the combination of YAP and ChREBP, leading to glucose-induced hepatocyte glycolysis and lipogenesis through up-regulation of target genes such as L-PK and ACC in mice. Conversely, inhibition of YAP activity by phosphorylation or downregulation antagonized glycolysis and lipogenesis in mice fed with HCHO diet. These results suggest that YAP is a nuclear co-factor of ChREBP and that the Hippo pathway negatively affects hepatocyte glycolysis by inhibiting the function of YAP-ChREBP.