Magic™ Anti-YAP1 (phospho S127) polyclonal antibody

Osteoblast differentiation is a key process for bone homeostasis and repair. Multiple signalling pathways have been associated with osteoblast differentiation, yet much remains unknown on how this process is regulated in vivo. Previous studies have proposed that the Hippo pathway transcriptional co-activators YAP and TAZ (also known as YAP1 and WWTR1, respectively) maintain progenitor sternness and inhibit terminal differentiation of osteoblasts, whereas others suggest they potentiate osteoblast differentiation and bone formation. Here, we use zebrafish caudal fin regeneration as a model to clarify how the Hippo pathway regulates de novo bone formation and osteoblast differentiation. We demonstrate that Yap inhibition leads to accumulation of osteoprogenitors and prevents osteoblast differentiation in a cell non-autonomous manner. This effect correlates with a severe impairment of Bmp signalling in osteoblasts, likely by suppressing the expression of the ligand bmp2a in the surrounding mesenchymal cells. Overall, our findings provide a new mechanism of bone formation through the Hippo-Yap pathway, integrating Yap in the signalling cascade that governs osteoprogenitor maintenance and subsequent differentiation during zebrafish caudal fin regeneration.

Tumors of soft tissue and bone represent a heterogeneous group of neoplasias characterized by a wide variety of genetic aberrations. Albeit knowledge on tumorigenesis in mesenchymal tumors is continuously increasing, specific insights on altered signaling pathways as a basis for molecularly targeted therapeutic strategies are still sparse. The aim of this study was to determine the involvement ofYAP1/TAZ-mediated signals in tumors of soft tissue and bone. Expression levels of YAP1 and TAZ were analyzed by immunohistochemistry in a large cohort of 486 tumor specimens, comprising angiosarcomas (AS), Ewing sarcomas, leiomyosarcomas, malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNST), solitary fibrous tumors, synovial sarcomas (SySa), well-differentiated/dedifferentiated/ pleomorphic and myxoid liposarcomas (MLS). Moderate to strong nuclear staining ofYAP1 and TAZ was detected in 53% and 33%, respectively. YAP1 nuclear expression was most prevalent in MPNST, SySa and MLS, whereas nuclear TAZ was predominately detected in AS, MLS and MPNST. In a set of sarcoma cell lines, immunoblotting confirmed nuclear localization ofYAP1 and TAZ, corresponding to their transcriptionally active pool. Suppression ofYAP1/TAZ-TEAD mediated transcriptional activity significantly impaired sarcoma cell viability in vitro and in vivo. Our findings identify nuclear YAP1 and TAZ positivity as a common feature in subsets of sarcomas of soft tissue and bone and provide evidence ofYAP1/TAZ-TEAD signaling as a specific liability to be considered as a new target for therapeutic intervention. Nuclear YAP1/TAZ expression may represent a biomarker suited to identify patients that could benefit fromYAP1/TAZ-TEAD directed therapeutic approaches within future clinical trials.