Molecular Mechanism of Hippo–YAP1/TAZ Pathway in Heart Development, Disease, and Regeneration

The Hippo–YAP1/TAZ pathway is a highly conserved central mechanism that controls organ size through the regulation of cell proliferation and other physical attributes of cells. The transcriptional factors YAP1 and TAZ act as downstream effectors of the Hippo pathway, and their subcellular location and transcriptional activities are affected by multiple post-translational modifications (PTMs). Studies have conclusively demonstrated a pivotal role of the Hippo–YAP1/TAZ pathway in cardiac development, disease, and regeneration. Targeted therapeutics for the YAP1/TAZ could be an effective treatment option for cardiac regeneration and disease. This review article provides an overview of the Hippo–YAP1/TAZ pathway and the increasing impact of PTMs in fine-tuning YAP1/TAZ activation; in addition, we discuss the potential contributions of the Hippo–YAP1/TAZ pathway in cardiac development, disease, and regeneration.