Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 9, 2026

Identification of Transcription Factor Regulators using Medium-Throughput Screening of Arrayed Libraries and a Dual-Luciferase-Based Reporter
Published on: March 27, 2020
NELFA-mediated pausing restrains YAP transcription and context-dependent outcomes in breast cancer
Bhavesh S Vasave1,2,3, Aadya A Atreya2,3,4, Rishabh D Kulkarni1,3
1Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune, India.
Introduction:
The Hippo pathway effector YAP signaling is frequently dysregulated in cancer, promoting transcriptional programs linked to tumor progression. However, how general transcriptional control mechanisms intersect with YAP activity remains unclear.
Methods:
We investigated the role of NELFA, a component of promoter-proximal pausing (PPP), using genetic perturbation in HEK293T cells and MDA-MB-231. Transcriptomic profiling and analysis of three independent breast cancer cohorts were performed to assess clinical relevance.
Results:
NELFA depletion resulted in selective amplification of YAP-dependent transcription in HEK293T and MDA-MB-231. Gene expression analyses showed enrichment of YAP targets alongside epithelial-mesenchymal transition and TGF-β signaling-associated programs. Clinically, low NELFA expression correlated with poorer disease-free survival in YAP-high tumors, specifically in triple-negative breast cancer.
Discussion:
These findings identify PPP as a conserved regulatory layer modulating YAP-driven oncogenic transcription. Loss of NELFA may enhance oncogenic transcriptional programs specifically in TNBC, highlighting its potential relevance as a context-dependent biomarker in aggressive breast cancer subtypes.
More Related Videos
10:32Combined Use of Tail Vein Metastasis Assays and Real-Time In Vivo Imaging to Quantify Breast Cancer Metastatic Colonization and Burden in the Lungs
Published on: December 19, 2019
06:00Through the Looking Glass: Time-lapse Microscopy and Longitudinal Tracking of Single Cells to Study Anti-cancer Therapeutics
Published on: May 14, 2016
Related Concept Videos
The Nucleolus
Abnormal Proliferation
Negative Regulator Molecules
Regulation of Nuclear Protein Sorting
Transcription Elongation Factors
The transcription elongation is regulated via pausing of RNA polymerase on several occasions during transcription. In bacteria, these halts are necessary because the transcription of DNA into mRNA is coupled to the translation of that mRNA into a...
Restarting Stalled Replication Forks