Preliminary Study on How Tumor Suppressor Nf2 Inhibits Transcriptional Coactivators Yap/Taz in the Developing Mouse Brain

<p>Normal brain development requires precise coordination of neural progenitor proliferation and differentiation, the mechanism of which is not well known. Recently the tumor suppressor neurofibromatosis 2 (Nf2) was shown to regulate the balance of neural progenitor proliferation and differentiation in the developing mouse brain through the Hippo pathway effectors, transcriptional coactivators Yap/Taz. The molecular mechanism of how Nf2 regulates Yap/Taz is not understood. Here I showed that Nf2 regulated the Yap/Taz activity by decreasing the stability of Yap/Taz. The regulation was independent of Yap-S366 phosphorylation, which is required for Yap degradation. I also showed that Nf2 did not regulate Lats1/2 kinases activity. Finally I found Nf2 interacted with Yap in mouse embryonic brain and identified the domains that were required for Nf2-Yap interaction. My study suggests that Nf2 may regulate Yap/Taz independent of the canonical Hippo pathway in the developing mammalian brain. </p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science (MS)

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Biomedical Sciences

Year dc:date.available

2014

Author dc:creator

• He, Yu

Contributors dc:contributor

• Xinwei Cao, Ph.D.

• Brain development
• Hippo signaling
• Nf2/Merlin
• Yap/Taz
• Medical Sciences
• Medicine and Health Sciences
• Neurosciences

Repository record dc:identifier

https://dc.uthsc.edu/dissertations/105

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dc.uthsc.edu:dissertations-1113