Yes-Associated Protein Is Required for ZO-1-Mediated Tight-Junction Integrity and Cell Migration in E-Cadherin-Restored AGS Gastric Cancer Cells

Role of angiomotin family members in human diseases (Review)

Angiomotin (Amot) family members, including Amot, Amot-like protein 1 (Amotl1) and Amot-like protein 2 (Amotl2), have been found to interact with angiostatins. In addition, Amot family members are involved in various physiological and pathological functions such as embryonic development, angiogenesis and tumorigenesis. Some studies have also demonstrated its regulation in signaling pathways such as the Hippo signaling pathway, AMPK signaling pathway and mTOR signaling pathways. Amot family members play an important role in neural stem cell differentiation, dendritic formation and synaptic maturation. In addition, an increasing number of studies have focused on their function in promoting and/or suppressing cancer, but the underlying mechanisms remain to be elucidated. The present review integrated relevant studies on upstream regulation and downstream signals of Amot family members, as well as the latest progress in physiological and pathological functions and clinical applications, hoping to offer important ideas for further research.

Unveiling the gastric microbiota: implications for gastric carcinogenesis, immune responses, and clinical prospects

High-throughput sequencing has ushered in a paradigm shift in gastric microbiota, breaking the stereotype that the stomach is hostile to microorganisms beyond H. pylori. Recent attention directed toward the composition and functionality of this 'community' has shed light on its potential relevance in cancer. The microbial composition in the stomach of health displays host specificity which changes throughout a person's lifespan and is subject to both external and internal factors. Distinctive alterations in gastric microbiome signature are discernible at different stages of gastric precancerous lesions and malignancy. The robust microbes that dominate in gastric malignant tissue are intricately implicated in gastric cancer susceptibility, carcinogenesis, and the modulation of immunosurveillance and immune escape. These revelations offer fresh avenues for utilizing gastric microbiota as predictive biomarkers in clinical settings. Furthermore, inter-individual microbiota variations partially account for differential responses to cancer immunotherapy. In this review, we summarize current literature on the influence of the gastric microbiota on gastric carcinogenesis, anti-tumor immunity and immunotherapy, providing insights into potential clinical applications.

YAP-mediated trophoblast dysfunction: the common pathway underlying pregnancy complications

Yes-associated protein (YAP) is a pivotal regulator in cellular proliferation, survival, differentiation, and migration, with significant roles in embryonic development, tissue repair, and tumorigenesis. At the maternal-fetal interface, emerging evidence underscores the importance of precisely regulated YAP activity in ensuring successful pregnancy initiation and progression. However, despite the established association between YAP dysregulation and adverse pregnancy outcomes, insights into the impact of aberrant YAP levels in fetal-derived, particularly trophoblast cells, and the ensuing dysfunction at the maternal-fetal interface remain limited. This review comprehensively examines YAP expression and its regulatory mechanisms in trophoblast cells throughout pregnancy. We emphasize its integral role in placental development and maternal-fetal interactions and delve into the correlations between YAP dysregulation and pregnancy complications. A nuanced understanding of YAP's functions during pregnancy could illuminate intricate molecular mechanisms and pave the way for innovative prevention and treatment strategies for pregnancy complications. Video Abstract.

Extracellular signal-Regulated Kinase 5 (ERK5) is required for the Yes-associated protein (YAP) co-transcriptional activity

YES-associated protein (YAP) is a transcriptional cofactor with a key role in the regulation of several physio-pathological cellular processes, by integrating multiple cell autonomous and microenvironmental cues. YAP is the main downstream effector of the Hippo pathway, a tumor-suppressive signaling able to transduce several extracellular signals. The Hippo pathway acts restraining YAP activity, since its activation induces YAP phosphorylation and cytoplasmic sequestration. However, recent observations indicate that YAP activity can be also modulated by Hippo independent/integrating pathways, still largely unexplored. In this study, we demonstrated the role of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase 5 (ERK5)/mitogen-activated protein kinase in the regulation of YAP activity. By means of ERK5 inhibition/silencing and overexpression experiments, and by using as model liver stem cells, hepatocytes, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines, we provided evidence that ERK5 is required for YAP-dependent gene expression. Mechanistically, ERK5 controls the recruitment of YAP on promoters of target genes and its physical interaction with the transcriptional partner TEAD; moreover, it mediates the YAP activation occurring in cell adhesion, migration, and TGFβ-induced EMT of liver cells. Furthermore, we demonstrated that ERK5 signaling modulates YAP activity in a LATS1/2-independent manner. Therefore, our observations identify ERK5 as a novel upstream Hippo-independent regulator of YAP activity, thus unveiling a new target for therapeutic approaches aimed at interfering with its function.

The Regulation of the Hippo Pathway by Intercellular Junction Proteins

The Hippo pathway is an evolutionarily conserved pathway that serves to promote cell death and differentiation while inhibiting cellular proliferation across species. The downstream effectors of this pathway, yes-associated protein (YAP) and transcriptional co-activator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ), are considered vital in promoting the output of the Hippo pathway, with activation of upstream kinases negatively regulating YAP/TAZ activity. The upstream regulation of the Hippo pathway is not entirely understood on a molecular level. However, several studies have shown that numerous cellular and non-cellular mechanisms such as cell polarity, contact inhibition, soluble factors, mechanical forces, and metabolism can convey external stimuli to the intracellular kinase cascade, promoting the activation of key components of the Hippo pathway and therefore regulating the subcellular localisation and protein activity of YAP/TAZ. This review will summarise what we have learnt about the role of intercellular junction-associated proteins in the activation of this pathway, including adherens junctions and tight junctions, and in particular our latest findings about the desmosomal components, including desmoglein-3 (DSG3), in the regulation of YAP signalling, phosphorylation, and subcellular translocation.

Andrographolide sodium bisulfite ameliorates dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis and liver injury in mice via inhibiting macrophage proinflammatory polarization from the gut-liver axis

Ulcerative colitis (UC), an inflammatory disease, is widely thought to be associated with colonic barrier damage and inflammatory response. With the destruction of the colonic barrier, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) enters the liver through the portal vein and causes liver injury. Liver injury in turn exacerbates UC to form a vicious cycle, so the treatment of liver injury cannot be ignored. Andrographolide (Andro) has a protective effect against colitis and liver injury, but with low bioavailability. Andrographolide sodium bisulfite (ASB), a water-soluble sulfonate of Andro, has better bioavailability, whether it has a better curative effect against UC and liver injury is rarely reported. Hence, we investigated the protective effect and potential mechanism of ASB against dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced UC and liver injury in mice. The results showed that treatment with ASB significantly relieved the clinical symptoms of UC and liver injury by reducing disease activity index, inhibiting gut-derived LPS leakage, and improving colonic and hepatic injury, and its curative effect was better than Andro. Moreover, ASB effectively decreased the YAP-mediated colonic inflammation and TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB-mediated pro-inflammatory factor release in the liver. Both colonic and hepatic inflammation were associated with macrophage proinflammatory polarization, but they were significantly inhibited by ASB. ASB showed good safety in the treatment of UC and liver injury and has no nephrotoxicity as previously described. In conclusion, ASB has an effective protective effect on DSS-induced UC and liver injury, mainly by suppressing macrophage proinflammatory polarization from the gut-liver axis.