Cytoplasmic and Nuclear TAZ Exert Distinct Functions in Regulating Primed Pluripotency.
Stem Cell Reports 2017;
9:732-741. [PMID:
28844657 PMCID:
PMC5599246 DOI:
10.1016/j.stemcr.2017.07.019]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2017] [Revised: 07/21/2017] [Accepted: 07/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Mouse epiblast stem cells (mEpiSCs) and human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are primed pluripotent stem cells whose self-renewal can be maintained through cytoplasmic stabilization and retention of β-catenin. The underlying mechanism, however, remains largely unknown. Here, we show that cytoplasmic β-catenin interacts with and retains TAZ, a Hippo pathway effector, in the cytoplasm. Cytoplasmic retention of TAZ promotes mEpiSC self-renewal in the absence of nuclear β-catenin, whereas nuclear translocation of TAZ induces mEpiSC differentiation. TAZ is dispensable for naive mouse embryonic stem cell (mESC) self-renewal but required for the proper conversion of mESCs to mEpiSCs. The self-renewal of hESCs, like that of mEpiSCs, can also be maintained through the cytoplasmic retention of β-catenin and TAZ. Our study indicates that how TAZ regulates cell fate depends on not only the cell type but also its subcellular localization.
TAZ is a binding partner of cytoplasmic β-catenin
TAZ is essential for the conversion of mESCs to mEpiSCs
Cytoplasmic retention of TAZ promotes mEpiSC and hESC self-renewal
Nuclear translocation of TAZ induces mEpiSC and hESC differentiation
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