Common and unique transcription signatures of YAP and TAZ in gastric cancer cells

YAP and its paralog TAZ are the nuclear effectors of the Hippo tumour-suppressor pathway, and function as transcriptional co-activators to control gene expression in response to mechanical cues. To identify both common and unique transcriptional targets of YAP and TAZ in gastric cancer cells, we carried out RNA-sequencing analysis of overexpressed YAP or TAZ in the corresponding paralogous gene-knockouts (KOs), TAZ KO or YAP KO, respectively. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis of the YAP/TAZ-transcriptional targets revealed activation of genes involved in platelet biology and lipoprotein particle formation as targets that are common for both YAP and TAZ. However, the GO terms for cell-substrate junction were a unique function of YAP. Further, we found that YAP was indispensable for the gastric cancer cells to re-establish cell-substrate junctions on a rigid surface following prolonged culture on a soft substrate. Collectively, our study not only identifies common and unique transcriptional signatures of YAP and TAZ in gastric cancer cells but also reveals a dominant role for YAP over TAZ in the control of cell-substrate adhesion.