α-Catenin levels determine direction of YAP/TAZ response to autophagy perturbation

NDR2 kinase: A review of its physiological role and involvement in carcinogenesis

The Hippo kinase, NDR2, plays a key role in the natural history of several human cancers, particularly lung cancer, by regulating processes such as proliferation, apoptosis, migration, invasion, vesicular trafficking, autophagy, ciliogenesis and immune response. To examine the specificity of NDR2's action, interaction and function in physiological or tumoral contexts, we first focus on the structural differences in the amino-acid sequence between NDR1 and NDR2. We then establish a correlation between these NDR1/2 differences and specific post-translational regulation, as well as the distinct action, interactions, and functions of NDR2 in physiological or tumoral paradigms, such as lung cancer. Furthermore, the full set of NDR2 partners and/or substrates remains to be identified. Given that it is hypothesized that NDR2 and its partners may offer new perspectives for anticancer therapies, we emphasize potential clustering or functional enrichment networks among the NDR2-specific interactants. Additionally, we provide an unpublished proteomic comparison of the NDR1 versus NDR2 interactome, focusing on human bronchial epithelial cells (HBEC-3), lung adenocarcinoma cells (H2030), and their brain metastasis-derived counterparts (H2030-BrM3). In conclusion, this study underscores the pivotal role of NDR2 in cancer progression, particularly lung cancer, and helps to better understand their specific functions and interactions in both normal and tumor contexts. The identification of NDR2 partners and substrates remains essential, with the potential to open new avenues for anticancer therapies.

The IGF2BP1 oncogene is a druggable m6A-dependent enhancer of YAP1-driven gene expression in ovarian cancer

The Hippo/YAP1 signaling pathway regulates normal development by controlling contact inhibition of growth. In cancer, YAP1 activation is often dysregulated, leading to excessive tumor growth and metastasis. SRC kinase can cross talk to Hippo signaling by disrupting adherens junctions, repressing the Hippo cascade, or activating YAP1 to promote proliferation. Here, we demonstrate that the IGF2 messenger RNA-binding protein 1 (IGF2BP1) impedes the repression of YAP1 by Hippo signaling in carcinomas. IGF2BP1 stabilizes the YAP1 messenger RNA (mRNA) and enhances YAP1 protein synthesis through an m6A-dependent interaction with the 3' untranslated region of the YAP1 mRNA, thereby increasing YAP1/TAZ-driven transcription to bypass contact inhibition of tumor cell growth. Inhibiting IGF2BP1-mRNA binding using BTYNB reduces YAP1 levels and transcriptional activity, leading to significant growth inhibition in carcinoma cells and ovarian cancer organoids. In contrast, SRC inhibition with Saracatinib fails to inhibit YAP1/TAZ-driven transcription and cell growth in general. This is particularly significant in de-differentiated, rather mesenchymal carcinoma-derived cells, which exhibit high IGF2BP1 and YAP1 expression, rendering them less reliant on SRC-directed growth stimulation. In such invasive carcinoma models, the combined inhibition of SRC, IGF2BP1, and YAP1/TAZ proved superior over monotherapies. These findings highlight the therapeutic potential of targeting IGF2BP1, a key regulator of oncogenic transcription networks.

Autophagy, aging, and age-related neurodegeneration

Autophagy is a conserved mechanism that degrades damaged or superfluous cellular contents and enables nutrient recycling under starvation conditions. Many neurodegeneration-associated proteins are autophagy substrates, and autophagy upregulation ameliorates disease in many animal models of neurodegeneration by enhancing the clearance of toxic proteins, proinflammatory molecules, and dysfunctional organelles. Autophagy inhibition also induces neuronal and glial senescence, a phenomenon that occurs with increasing age in non-diseased brains as well as in response to neurodegeneration-associated stresses. However, aging and many neurodegeneration-associated proteins and mutations impair autophagy. This creates a potentially detrimental feedback loop whereby the accumulation of these disease-associated proteins impairs their autophagic clearance, facilitating their further accumulation and aggregation. Thus, understanding how autophagy interacts with aging, senescence, and neurodegenerative diseases in a temporal, cellular, and genetic context is important for the future clinical application of autophagy-modulating therapies in aging and neurodegeneration.

GL-V9 Promotes Autophagy-Mediated YAP1 Degradation and Activates Mitochondrial Apoptosis in PDAC Cells

Background: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is among the most aggressive forms of pancreatic cancer with a poor prognosis. YAP1 expression is markedly elevated in PDAC, but how it works is not clear. GL-V9, a derivative of the natural compound wogonin, effectively fights a variety of tumors; however, its effect on PDAC has not yet been studied. Methods: TCGA database analysis, Western blots, immunofluorescence, and real-time PCR were used to evaluate GL-V9's effect on YAP1 expression and mRNA levels. Immunofluorescence was used to examine the co-location of YAP1 with LAMP2 and p62. Co-immunoprecipitation was used to assess the binding of YAP1 to ubiquitin, p62, and TEAD1. A PDAC graft tumor model was used to test GL-V9's pharmacological effects. Western blots and immunohistochemistry were used to measure apoptosis- and autophagy-related protein expression. Results: GL-V9 effectively promoted the degradation of YAP1, reduced YAP1 nuclear localization, and induced mitochondrial apoptosis in PDAC cells. YAP1 overexpression led to the upregulation of Bcl-2 and attenuated the caspase cascade induced by GL-V9. Furthermore, we demonstrated that GL-V9 induced autophagosome-lysosome fusion via the AKT/mTOR/TFEB pathway, leading to mitochondrial apoptosis in PDAC cells. In vivo studies also confirmed that GL-V9 exerts anti-tumor effects by suppressing YAP1 expression, while also activating autophagy and inducing mitochondrial apoptosis in BXPC-3-bearing BALB/c nude mice. Conclusions: Our findings underscore the importance of autophagy-mediated YAP1 degradation in PDAC, providing a novel molecular rationale (GL-V9) as a promising treatment for this disease.

Research progress of the Hippo signaling pathway in renal cell carcinoma

Objective

This review aimed to summarize the role of the Hippo signaling pathway in renal cell carcinoma (RCC), a urologic malignancy with subtle initial symptoms and high mortality rates due to metastatic RCC. The Hippo signaling pathway, which regulates tissue and organ sizes, plays a crucial role in RCC progression and metastasis. Understanding the involvement of the Hippo signaling pathway in RCC provides valuable insights for the development of targeted therapies and improved patient outcomes.

Methods

In this review, we explored the impact of the Hippo signaling pathway on RCC. Through an analysis of existing literature, we examined its role in RCC progression and metastasis. Additionally, we discussed potential therapeutic strategies targeting the Hippo pathway for inhibiting RCC cell growth and invasion. We also highlighted the importance of investigating interactions between the Hippo pathway and other signaling pathways such as Wnt, transforming growth factor-beta, and PI3K/AKT, which may uncover additional therapeutic targets.

Results

The Hippo signaling pathway has shown promise as a target for inhibiting RCC cell growth and invasion. Studies have demonstrated its dysregulation in RCC, with altered expression of key components such as yes-associated protein/transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif (YAP/TAZ). Targeting the Hippo pathway has been associated with suppressed tumor growth and metastasis in preclinical models of RCC. Furthermore, investigating crosstalk between the Hippo pathway and other signaling pathways has revealed potential synergistic effects that could be exploited for therapeutic interventions.

Conclusion

Understanding the role of the Hippo signaling pathway in RCC is of paramount importance. Elucidating its functions and molecular interactions contributes to RCC diagnosis, treatment, and the discovery of novel mechanisms. This knowledge informs the development of innovative therapeutic strategies and opens new avenues for research in RCC. Further investigations are warranted to fully comprehend the complex interplay between the Hippo pathway and other signaling pathways, ultimately leading to improved outcomes for RCC patients.

Nuclear proteasomes buffer cytoplasmic proteins during autophagy compromise

Autophagy is a conserved pathway where cytoplasmic contents are engulfed by autophagosomes, which then fuse with lysosomes enabling their degradation. Mutations in core autophagy genes cause neurological conditions, and autophagy defects are seen in neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease and Huntington's disease. Thus, we have sought to understand the cellular pathway perturbations that autophagy-perturbed cells are vulnerable to by seeking negative genetic interactions such as synthetic lethality in autophagy-null human cells using available data from yeast screens. These revealed that loss of proteasome and nuclear pore complex components cause synergistic viability changes akin to synthetic fitness loss in autophagy-null cells. This can be attributed to the cytoplasm-to-nuclear transport of proteins during autophagy deficiency and subsequent degradation of these erstwhile cytoplasmic proteins by nuclear proteasomes. As both autophagy and cytoplasm-to-nuclear transport are defective in Huntington's disease, such cells are more vulnerable to perturbations of proteostasis due to these synthetic interactions.

Inhibition of YAP/TAZ pathway contributes to the cytotoxicity of silibinin in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers threatening women's health. Our previous study found that silibinin induced the death of MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells. We noticed that silibinin-induced cell damage was accompanied by morphological changes, including the increased cell aspect ratio (cell length/width) and decreased cell area. Besides, the cytoskeleton is also destroyed in cells treated with silibinin. YAP/TAZ, a mechanical signal sensor interacted with extracellular pressure, cell adhesion area and cytoskeleton, is also closely associated with cell survival, proliferation and migration. Thus, the involvement of YAP/TAZ in the cytotoxicity of silibinin in breast cancer cells has attracted our interests. Excitingly, we find that silibinin inhibits the nuclear translocation of YAP/TAZ in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells, and reduces the mRNA expressions of YAP/TAZ target genes, ACVR1, MnSOD and ANKRD. More importantly, expression of YAP1 gene is negatively correlated with the survival of the patients with breast cancers. Molecular docking analysis reveals high probabilities for binding of silibinin to the proteins in the YAP pathways. DARTS and CETSA results confirm the binding abilities of silibinin to YAP and LATS. Inhibiting YAP pathway either by addition of verteporfin, an inhibitor of YAP/TAZ-TEAD, or by transfection of si-RNAs targeting YAP or TAZ further enhances silibinin-induced cell damage. While enhancing YAP activity by silencing LATS1/2 or overexpressing YAPS127/397A, an active form of YAP, attenuates silibinin-induced cell damage. These findings demonstrate that inhibition of the YAP/TAZ pathway contributes to cytotoxicity of silibinin in breast cancers, shedding lights on YAP/TAZ-targeted cancer therapies.

SRY-Box transcription factor 9 triggers YAP nuclear entry via direct interaction in tumors

The translocation of YAP from the cytoplasm to the nucleus is critical for its activation and plays a key role in tumor progression. However, the precise molecular mechanisms governing the nuclear import of YAP are not fully understood. In this study, we have uncovered a crucial role of SOX9 in the activation of YAP. SOX9 promotes the nuclear translocation of YAP by direct interaction. Importantly, we have identified that the binding between Asp-125 of SOX9 and Arg-124 of YAP is essential for SOX9-YAP interaction and subsequent nuclear entry of YAP. Additionally, we have discovered a novel asymmetrical dimethylation of YAP at Arg-124 (YAP-R124me2a) catalyzed by PRMT1. YAP-R124me2a enhances the interaction between YAP and SOX9 and is associated with poor prognosis in multiple cancers. Furthermore, we disrupted the interaction between SOX9 and YAP using a competitive peptide, S-A1, which mimics an α-helix of SOX9 containing Asp-125. S-A1 significantly inhibits YAP nuclear translocation and effectively suppresses tumor growth. This study provides the first evidence of SOX9 as a pivotal regulator driving YAP nuclear translocation and presents a potential therapeutic strategy for YAP-driven human cancers by targeting SOX9-YAP interaction.

The AMPK-Sirtuin 1-YAP axis is regulated by fluid flow intensity and controls autophagy flux in kidney epithelial cells

Shear stress generated by urinary fluid flow is an important regulator of renal function. Its dysregulation is observed in various chronic and acute kidney diseases. Previously, we demonstrated that primary cilium-dependent autophagy allows kidney epithelial cells to adapt their metabolism in response to fluid flow. Here, we show that nuclear YAP/TAZ negatively regulates autophagy flux in kidney epithelial cells subjected to fluid flow. This crosstalk is supported by a primary cilium-dependent activation of AMPK and SIRT1, independently of the Hippo pathway. We confirm the relevance of the YAP/TAZ-autophagy molecular dialog in vivo using a zebrafish model of kidney development and a unilateral ureteral obstruction mouse model. In addition, an in vitro assay simulating pathological accelerated flow observed at early stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD) activates YAP, leading to a primary cilium-dependent inhibition of autophagic flux. We confirm this YAP/autophagy relationship in renal biopsies from patients suffering from diabetic kidney disease (DKD), the leading cause of CKD. Our findings demonstrate the importance of YAP/TAZ and autophagy in the translation of fluid flow into cellular and physiological responses. Dysregulation of this pathway is associated with the early onset of CKD.

Low-Intensity Pulsed Ultrasound Attenuates Periodontal Ligament Cells Apoptosis by Activating Yes-Associated Protein-Regulated Autophagy

OBJECTIVE

The goal of the work described here was to determine if low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) has an anti-inflammatory effect on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation in periodontal ligament cells (PDLCs). The mechanism underlying this effect remains to be explored and is likely related to PDLC apoptosis regulated by Yes-associated protein (YAP) and autophagy.

METHODS

To verify this hypothesis, we used a rat model of periodontitis and primary human PDLCs. We examined alveolar bone resorption in rats and apoptosis, autophagy and YAP activity in LPS-treated PDLCs with and without application of LIPUS by cellular immunofluorescence, transmission electron microscopy and Western blotting. Then, siRNA transfection was used to decrease YAP expression to confirm the regulatory role of YAP in the anti-apoptotic effect of LIPUS on PDLCs.

DISCUSSION

We found that LIPUS attenuated alveolar bone resorption in rats and this was accompanied by YAP activation. LIPUS inhibited hPDLC apoptosis by YAP activation, and promoted autophagic degradation to help autophagy completion. These effects were reversed after YAP expression was blocked.

CONCLUSION

LIPUS attenuates PDLC apoptosis by activating Yes-associated protein-regulated autophagy.

The role of the Hippo pathway in autophagy in the heart

The Hippo pathway, an evolutionarily conserved signalling mechanism, controls organ size and tumourigenesis. Increasing lines of evidence suggest that autophagy, an important mechanism of lysosome-mediated cellular degradation, is regulated by the Hippo pathway, which thereby profoundly affects cell growth and death responses in various cell types. In the heart, Mst1, an upstream component of the Hippo pathway, not only induces apoptosis but also inhibits autophagy through phosphorylation of Beclin 1. YAP/TAZ, transcription factor co-factors and the terminal effectors of the Hippo pathway, affect autophagy through transcriptional activation of TFEB, a master regulator of autophagy and lysosomal biogenesis. The cellular abundance of YAP is negatively regulated by autophagy and suppression of autophagy induces accumulation of YAP, which, in turn, acts as a feedback mechanism to induce autophagosome formation. Thus, the Hippo pathway and autophagy regulate each other, thereby profoundly affecting cardiomyocyte survival and death. This review discusses the interaction between the Hippo pathway and autophagy and its functional significance during stress conditions in the heart and the cardiomyocytes therein.

The role of Hippo pathway in ferroptosis

The role of Hippo pathway in ferroptosis The Hippo pathway is mainly composed of mammalian serine/threonine (Ste20)like kinases 1/2 (MST1/2), large tumor suppressor 1/2 (LATS1/2), and transcriptional coactivator Yes-associated protein (YAP), and is closely related to cell growth, survival, proliferation, and migration; tissue and organ size control; and tumorigenesis and development. Ferroptosis is a regulated form of cell death characterized by the accumulation of iron-dependent reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the depletion of plasma membrane polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), which is caused by the imbalance of oxidation and the antioxidant system. This article elaborates the role of Hippo pathway in ferroptosis, providing ideas for the regulation of cell fate and the treatment of tumors.

MiR-34a-5p promotes autophagy and apoptosis of ovarian granulosa cells via the Hippo-YAP signaling pathway by targeting LEF1 in chicken

Follicular atresia is a natural physiological phenomenon in poultry reproduction. It is well known that follicular atresia is caused by both autophagy and apoptosis of granulosa cells. In current experiment, we evaluated the function of miR-34a-5p on autophagy and apoptosis in chicken follicular atresia. First, the follicular atresia model of chicken was successfully constructed by subcutaneous injection of tamoxifen (TMX), and found the expression of miR-34a-5p in the atresia follicles obviously increased. Then, we confirmed that miR-34a-5p accelerates autophagy and apoptosis of chicken granulose cells in vitro, and miR-34a-5p could induce apoptosis by mediating autophagy. Mechanistically, lymphoid enhancer binding factor 1 (LEF1) was deemed as a target gene for miR-34a-5p. On the contrary, LEF1 overexpression attenuated the autophagy and apoptosis of chicken granular cells. In addition, it was confirmed that the miR-34a-5p/LEF1 axis plays a regulatory role in chicken granulosa cells by mediating the Hippo-YAP signaling pathway. Taken together, this study demonstrated that miR-34a-5p contributes to autophagy and apoptosis of chicken follicular granulosa cells by targeting LEF1 to mediate the Hippo-YAP signaling pathway.

Past, present, and future perspectives of transcription factor EB (TFEB): mechanisms of regulation and association with disease

Transcription factor EB (TFEB), a member of the MiT/TFE family of basic helix-loop-helix leucine zipper transcription factors, is an established central regulator of the autophagy/lysosomal-to-nucleus signaling pathway. Originally described as an oncogene, TFEB is now widely known as a regulator of various processes, such as energy homeostasis, stress response, metabolism, and autophagy-lysosomal biogenesis because of its extensive involvement in various signaling pathways, such as mTORC1, Wnt, calcium, and AKT signaling pathways. TFEB is also implicated in various human diseases, such as lysosomal storage disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, cancers, and metabolic disorders. In this review, we present an overview of the major advances in TFEB research over the past 30 years, since its description in 1990. This review also discusses the recently discovered regulatory mechanisms of TFEB and their implications for human diseases. We also summarize the moonlighting functions of TFEB and discuss future research directions and unanswered questions in the field. Overall, this review provides insight into our understanding of TFEB as a major molecular player in human health, which will take us one step closer to promoting TFEB from basic research into clinical and regenerative applications.

YAP and TAZ: Monocorial and bicorial transcriptional co-activators in human cancers

The transcriptional regulators YAP and TAZ are involved in numerous physiological processes including organ development, growth, immunity and tissue regeneration. YAP and TAZ dysregulation also contribute to tumorigenesis, thereby making them attractive cancer therapeutic targets. Arbitrarily, YAP and TAZ are often considered as a single protein, and are referred to as YAP/TAZ in most studies. However, increasing experimental evidences documented that YAP and TAZ perform both overlapping and distinct functions in several physiological and pathological processes. In addition to regulating distinct processes, YAP and TAZ are also regulated by distinct upstream cues. The aim of the review is to describe the distinct roles of YAP and TAZ focusing particularly on cancer. Therapeutic strategies targeting either YAP and TAZ proteins or only one of them should be carefully evaluated. Selective targeting of YAP or TAZ may in fact impair different pathways and determine diverse clinical outputs.

Mechanoautophagy: Synergies Between Autophagy and Cell Mechanotransduction at Adhesive Complexes

Cells are exposed and respond to various mechanical forces and physical cues stemming from their environment. This interaction has been seen to differentially regulate various cellular processes for maintenance of homeostasis, of which autophagy represents one of the major players. In addition, autophagy has been suggested to regulate mechanical functions of the cells including their interaction with the environment. In this minireview, we summarize the state of the art of the fascinating interplay between autophagy and the mechanotransduction machinery associated with cell adhesions, that we name ¨Mechanoautophagy¨

The biology of YAP in programmed cell death

In the last few decades, YAP has been shown to be critical in regulating tumor progression. YAP activity can be regulated by many kinase cascade pathways and proteins through phosphorylation and promotion of cytoplasmic localization. Other factors can also affect YAP activity by modulating its binding to different transcription factors (TFs). Programmed cell death (PCD) is a genetically controlled suicide process present with the scope of eliminating cells unnecessary or detrimental for the proper development of the organism. In some specific states, PCD is activated and facilitates the selective elimination of certain types of tumor cells. As a candidate oncogene correlates with many regulatory factors, YAP can inhibit or induce different forms of PCD, including apoptosis, autophagy, ferroptosis and pyroptosis. Furthermore, YAP may act as a bridge between different forms of PCD, eventually leading to different outcomes regarding tumor development. Researches on YAP and PCD may benefit the future development of novel treatment strategies for some diseases. Therefore, in this review, we provide a general overview of the cellular functions of YAP and the relationship between YAP and PCD.

A Neural Crest-specific Overexpression Mouse Model Reveals the Transcriptional Regulatory Effects of Dlx2 During Maxillary Process Development

Craniofacial morphogenesis is a complex process that requires precise regulation of cell proliferation, migration, and differentiation. Perturbations of this process cause a series of craniofacial deformities. Dlx2 is a critical transcription factor that regulates the development of the first branchial arch. However, the transcriptional regulatory functions of Dlx2 during craniofacial development have been poorly understood due to the lack of animal models in which the Dlx2 level can be precisely modulated. In this study, we constructed a Rosa26 site-directed Dlx2 gene knock-in mouse model Rosa26 ^{CAG-LSL-Dlx2-3xFlag} for conditionally overexpressing Dlx2. By breeding with wnt1 ^cre mice, we obtained wnt1 ^cre ; Rosa26 ^Dlx2/- mice, in which Dlx2 is overexpressed in neural crest lineage at approximately three times the endogenous level. The wnt1 ^cre ; Rosa26 ^Dlx2/- mice exhibited consistent phenotypes that include cleft palate across generations and individual animals. Using this model, we demonstrated that Dlx2 caused cleft palate by affecting maxillary growth and uplift in the early-stage development of maxillary prominences. By performing bulk RNA-sequencing, we demonstrated that Dlx2 overexpression induced significant changes in many genes associated with critical developmental pathways. In summary, our novel mouse model provides a reliable and consistent system for investigating Dlx2 functions during development and for elucidating the gene regulatory networks underlying craniofacial development.

The complexity of biological control systems: An autophagy case study

Autophagy and YAP1-WWTR1/TAZ signalling are tightly linked in a complex control system of forward and feedback pathways which determine different cellular outcomes in differing cell types at different time-points after perturbations. Here we extend our previous experimental and modelling approaches to consider two possibilities. First, we have performed additional mathematical modelling to explore how the autophagy-YAP1 crosstalk may be controlled by posttranslational modifications of components of the pathways. Second, since analogous contrasting results have also been reported for autophagy as a regulator of other transduction pathways engaged in tumorigenesis (Wnt/β-catenin, TGF-β/Smads, NF-kB or XIAP/cIAPs), we have considered if such discrepancies may be explicable through situations involving competing pathways and feedback loops in different cell types, analogous to the autophagy-YAP/TAZ situation. Since distinct posttranslational modifications dominate those pathways in distinct cells, these need to be understood to enable appropriate cell type-specific therapeutic strategies for cancers and other diseases.

Vinexin contributes to autophagic decline in brain ageing across species

Autophagic decline is considered a hallmark of ageing. The activity of this intracytoplasmic degradation pathway decreases with age in many tissues and autophagy induction ameliorates ageing in many organisms, including mice. Autophagy is a critical protective pathway in neurons and ageing is the primary risk factor for common neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we describe that autophagosome biogenesis declines with age in mouse brains and that this correlates with increased expression of the SORBS3 gene (encoding vinexin) in older mouse and human brain tissue. We characterise vinexin as a negative regulator of autophagy. SORBS3 knockdown increases F-actin structures, which compete with YAP/TAZ for binding to their negative regulators, angiomotins, in the cytosol. This promotes YAP/TAZ translocation into the nucleus, thereby increasing YAP/TAZ transcriptional activity and autophagy. Our data therefore suggest brain autophagy decreases with age in mammals and that this is likely, in part, mediated by increasing levels of vinexin.

Cell type-specific YAP1-WWTR1/TAZ transcriptional responses after autophagy perturbations are determined by levels of α-catenins (CTNNA1 and CTNNA3)

The YAP1-WWTR1/TAZ transcription co-factors are key determinants of cell growth that are perturbed in many cancers. Previous studies have reported divergent responses in YAP1-WWTR1/TAZ activities after autophagy perturbations in different contexts. Recently, we identified that α-catenin levels determine whether YAP1-WWTR1/TAZ signaling will be increased or decreased after macroautophagy/autophagy inhibition/induction. CTNNA1/α-catenin can act as a switch in this pathway, as it is an autophagy substrate and a negative regulator of YAP1-WWTR1/TAZ. However, YAP1-WWTR1/TAZ are also directly degraded by autophagy and there is a feedback loop where YAP1-WWTR1/TAZ positively regulate autophagy. These features were integrated into a mathematical numerical model based on a set of differential equations in order to clarify the integrated output on YAP1-WWTR1/TAZ activity at different time-points after autophagy perturbation in cells with distinct initial levels of α-catenins (CTNNA1 and CTNNA3). Our theoretical and experimental data allow an understanding of cell-type specific and time-dependent responses to autophagy manipulations that may be relevant in many contexts, including different types of cancer.