Hippo pathway target genes and transcription factors in organ growth control

Abstract

The Hippo pathway, first discovered in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, is an evolutionarily conserved regulator of organ growth. The Hippo pathway controls organ growth by regulating the nuclear activity of the transcriptional coactivator Yorkie (Yki). Yki binds to sequence-specific transcription factors to regulate target gene expression, including the TEAD/TEF family transcription factor Scalloped (Sd). It was recently discovered that the Hippo pathway controls the growth of organs in Drosophila by balancing transcriptional activation mediated by Yki and Sd, and transcriptional repression mediated by Tondu-domain- containing Growth Inhibitor (Tgi) and Sd. If this fine balance is dis..