Open AccessThe Hippo transducer TAZ promotes epithelial to mesenchymal transition and cancer stem cell maintenance in oral cancer
Author(s) -
Li Zhongwu,
Wang Yanling,
Zhu Yumin,
Yuan Chunping,
Wang Dongmiao,
Zhang Wei,
Qi Bin,
Qiu Jin,
Song Xiaomeng,
Ye Jinhai,
Wu Heming,
Jiang Hongbing,
Liu Laikui,
Zhang Yuan,
Song Liang-Nian,
Yang Jianrong,
Cheng Jie
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
molecular oncology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.332
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1878-0261
pISSN - 1574-7891
DOI - 10.1016/j.molonc.2015.01.007
Subject(s) - epithelial–mesenchymal transition , cancer stem cell , hippo signaling pathway , cancer research , biology , carcinogenesis , cancer , stem cell , tumor initiation , metastasis , cancer cell , microbiology and biotechnology , signal transduction , genetics
The Hippo pathway has emerged as a fundamental regulator in tissue growth, organ size and stem cell functions, and tumorigenesis when deregulated. However, its roles and associated molecular mechanisms underlying oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) initiation and progression remain largely unknown. Here, we identified TAZ, the downstream effector of Hippo signaling, as a novel bona fide oncogene by promoting cell proliferation, migration/invasion and chemoresistance in OSCC. TAZ promoted epithelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) and also was involved in TGF‐β1‐induced EMT in oral cancer cells. Furthermore, enriched TAZ sustained self‐renewal, maintenance, tumor‐seeding potential of oral cancer stem cells (CSCs). Remarkably, enforced TAZ overexpression conferred CSCs‐like properties on differentiated non‐CSCs and fueled phenotypic transition from non‐CSCs to CSCs‐like cells. Mechanistically, TAZ‐TEADs binding and subsequent transcriptional activation of EMT mediators and pluripotency factors are presumably responsible for TAZ‐mediated EMT and non‐CSCs‐to‐CSCs conversion. Importantly, aberrant TAZ overexpression was found to be associated with tumor size, pathological grade and cervical lymph node metastasis, as well as unfavorable prognosis. Pharmacological repression of TAZ by simvastatin resulted in potent anti‐cancer effects against OSCC. Taken together, our findings have revealed critical links between TAZ, EMT and CSCs in OSCC initiation and progression, and also established TAZ as a novel cancer biomarker and viable druggable target for OSCC therapeutics.