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Purpose: Although YAP1 and TAZ are believed to be equivalent downstream effectors of the Hippo pathway, differential expression of YAP1 or TAZ suggests distinct functions during cancer progression. The exact role of YAP1 and TAZ in esophageal cancer, the 6th leading cancer-related mortality in the world, remains elusive., Methods: Following single or double manipulation of YAP1 or TAZ expression, we subjected these manipulated cells to proliferation, migration, invasion, and xenograft tumorigenesis assays. We used RT-qPCR and Western blotting to examine their expression in the manipulated cells with or without inhibition of transcription or translation. We also examined the impact of YAP1 or TAZ deregulation on clinical outcome of esophageal cancer patients from the TCGA database., Results: We found that YAP1 functions as a tumor suppressor whereas TAZ exerts pro-tumor functions in esophageal cancer cells. We also found a significant increase in TAZ mRNA expression upon YAP1 depletion, but not vice versa, despite the downregulation of CTGF and CYR61, shared targets of YAP1 and TAZ, in xenografted tissue cells. In addition to transcriptional regulation, YAP1-mediated TAZ expression was found to occur via protein synthesis. Restored TAZ expression mitigated YAP1-mediated suppression of cellular behavior. By contrast, TAZ silencing reduced the promoting effect exerted by YAP1 depletion on cellular behaviors. The observed anti-tumor function of YAP1 was further supported by a better overall survival among esophageal cancer patients with a high YAP1 expression., Conclusion: From our data we conclude that YAP1 functions as a suppressor and negatively regulates pro-tumor TAZ expression via transcriptional and translational control in esophageal cancer., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

We have constructed the first integrated consensus map (ICM) for rose, based on the information of four diploid populations and more than 1,000 initial markers. The single population maps are linked via 59 bridge markers, on average 8.4 per linkage group (LG). The integrated map comprises 597 markers, 206 of which are sequence-based, distributed over a length of 530 cM on seven LGs. By using a larger effective population size and therefore higher marker density, the marker order in the ICM is more reliable than in the single population maps. This is supported by a more even marker distribution and a decrease in gap sizes in the consensus map as compared to the single population maps. This unified map establishes a standard nomenclature for rose LGs, and presents the location of important ornamental traits, such as self-incompatibility, black spot resistance (Rdr1), scent production and recurrent blooming. In total, the consensus map includes locations for 10 phenotypic single loci, QTLs for 7 different traits and 51 ESTs or gene-based molecular markers. This consensus map combines for the first time the information for traits with high relevance for rose variety development. It will serve as a tool for selective breeding and marker assisted selection. It will benefit future efforts of the rose community to sequence the whole rose genome and will be useful for synteny studies in the Rosaceae family and especially in the section Rosoideae.