The Hippo Pathway Effector TAZ Regulates Ferroptosis in Renal Cell Carcinoma

Despite recent advances, the poor outcomes in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) suggest novel therapeutics are needed. Ferroptosis is a form of regulated cell death, which may have therapeutic potential toward RCC; however, much remains unknown about the determinants of ferroptosis susceptibility. We found that ferroptosis susceptibility is highly influenced by cell density and confluency. Because cell density regulates the Hippo-YAP/TAZ pathway, we investigated the roles of the Hippo pathway effectors in ferroptosis. TAZ is abundantly expressed in RCC and undergoes density-dependent nuclear or cytosolic translocation. TAZ removal confers ferroptosis resistance, whereas overexpression of TAZS89A sensitizes cells to…

• UD
  U.S. Department of Defense

  Awards: W81XWH-17, GM124062, W81XWH, W81XWH-15-1-0486, W81XWH-15-1, W81XWH-17-1-0143
• NI
  National Institutes of Health

  Awards: W81XWH, GM124062