Linking Extracellular Matrix Agrin to the Hippo Pathway in Liver Cancer and Beyond
Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A-STAR), 61 Biopolis Drive, Proteos, Singapore 138673, Singapore
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Cancers 2018, 10(2), 45; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers10020045
Received: 4 January 2018 / Revised: 5 February 2018 / Accepted: 5 February 2018 / Published: 6 February 2018
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hippo Pathway in Cancer, towards Realization of the Hippo-Targeted Therapy)
Abstract
In addition to the structural and scaffolding role, the extracellular matrix (ECM) is emerging as a hub for biomechanical signal transduction that is frequently relayed to intracellular sensors to regulate diverse cellular processes. At a macroscopic scale, matrix rigidity confers long-ranging effects contributing towards tissue fibrosis and cancer. The transcriptional co-activators YAP/TAZ, better known as the converging effectors of the Hippo pathway, are widely recognized for their new role as nuclear mechanosensors during organ homeostasis and cancer. Still, how YAP/TAZ senses these “stiffness cues” from the ECM remains enigmatic. Here, we highlight the recent perspectives on the role of agrin in mechanosignaling from the ECM via antagonizing the Hippo pathway to activate YAP/TAZ in the contexts of cancer, neuromuscular junctions, and cardiac regeneration. View Full-TextKeywords:
Hippo pathway; agrin; YAP/TAZ; mechanotransduction; liver cancer; extracellular matrix; cardiac regeneration; neuromuscular junctions
▼
Figures
Figure 1
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited (CC BY 4.0).
Share & Cite This Article
MDPI and ACS Style
Chakraborty, S.; Hong, W. Linking Extracellular Matrix Agrin to the Hippo Pathway in Liver Cancer and Beyond. Cancers 2018, 10, 45.
Note that from the first issue of 2016, MDPI journals use article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.