Decoding the YAP/TAZ–PPARγ Regulatory Axis in Adipocyte Differentiation and Dedifferentiation [ChIP-seq]

The transcriptional coregulators YAP and TAZ control tissue homeostasis as downstream effectors of the Hippo signaling pathway. The molecular mechanisms by which they regulate cell differentiation or dedifferentiation have remained unclear, however. Here we reveal how YAP/TAZ regulates the transcription and genomic activity of the adipocyte lineage-specification factor PPARγ at the chromatin level. TAZ binds to the Pparg2 genomic region and to PPARγ target gene enhancers, thereby inducing chromatin reprogramming and transcriptional repression. Binding to TEAD transcription factors is essential for this repressive action of TAZ, but direct protein interaction with PPARγ via the WW domain of TAZ is not. Single-nucleus genomic analyses of mouse adipose tissue revealed that YAP/TAZ hyperactivation drives extensive epigenetic changes and the dedifferentiation of adipocytes. Collectively, our findings indicate that YAP/TAZ determine adipocyte fate by modulating the expression of a key transcription factor and the enhancer landscape of its target genes.