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  • Spatial modeling reveals nuclear phosphorylation and subcellular shuttling of YAP upon drug-induced liver injury.

Spatial modeling reveals nuclear phosphorylation and subcellular shuttling of YAP upon drug-induced liver injury.

eLife (2022-10-19)
Lilija Wehling, Liam Keegan, Paula Fernández-Palanca, Reham Hassan, Ahmed Ghallab, Jennifer Schmitt, Yingyue Tang, Maxime Le Marois, Stephanie Roessler, Peter Schirmacher, Ursula Kummer, Jan G Hengstler, Sven Sahle, Kai Breuhahn
ABSTRACT

The Hippo signaling pathway controls cell proliferation and tissue regeneration via its transcriptional effectors yes-associated protein (YAP) and transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ). The canonical pathway topology is characterized by sequential phosphorylation of kinases in the cytoplasm that defines the subcellular localization of YAP and TAZ. However, the molecular mechanisms controlling the nuclear/cytoplasmic shuttling dynamics of both factors under physiological and tissue-damaging conditions are poorly understood. By implementing experimental in vitro data, partial differential equation modeling, as well as automated image analysis, we demonstrate that nuclear phosphorylation contributes to differences between YAP and TAZ localization in the nucleus and cytoplasm. Treatment of hepatocyte-derived cells with hepatotoxic acetaminophen (APAP) induces a biphasic protein phosphorylation eventually leading to nuclear protein enrichment of YAP but not TAZ. APAP-dependent regulation of nuclear/cytoplasmic YAP shuttling is not an unspecific cellular response but relies on the sequential induction of reactive oxygen species (ROS), RAC-alpha serine/threonine-protein kinase (AKT, synonym: protein kinase B), as well as elevated nuclear interaction between YAP and AKT. Mouse experiments confirm this sequence of events illustrated by the expression of ROS-, AKT-, and YAP-specific gene signatures upon APAP administration. In summary, our data illustrate the importance of nuclear processes in the regulation of Hippo pathway activity. YAP and TAZ exhibit different shuttling dynamics, which explains distinct cellular responses of both factors under physiological and tissue-damaging conditions.

MATERIALS
Product Number
Brand
Product Description

Sigma-Aldrich
Anti-GAPDH Antibody, from chicken, purified by affinity chromatography
Sigma-Aldrich
Akt Inhibitor VIII, Isozyme-Selective, Akti-1/2, Akt Inhibitor VIII, Isozyme-Selective, Akti-1/2, CAS 612847-09-3, is a cell-permeable, reversible inhibitor of Akt1/Akt2 (IC₅₀ = 58 nM, 210 nM, & 2.12 µM for Akt1, Akt2, and Akt3, respectively).