YAPTAZ and neuroblastoma cell plasticity [ChIP-seq]

Phenotypic plasticity between noradrenergic and mesenchymal cell states, each defined by specific transcriptional and epigenetic programs and distinct cellular properties, is observed in some neuroblastoma cell lines. Yet the drivers of this plasticity are not fully understood.

This study identifies YAP and TAZ as central regulators of the mesenchymal state. YAP/TAZ, in complex with TEAD, FOSL, and RUNX transcription factors, establish a core regulatory circuitry associated with mesenchymal-specific super-enhancers. Expression of a conserved YAP/TAZ gene signature increases during the noradrenergic-to-mesenchymal transition and decreases during the reverse in plasticity models.