(EN) Final urine volume and concentration are defined by water reabsorption through the water channels AQP2, -3 and -4 in the collecting duct. YAP is a downstream effector of the Hippo pathway, and is a transcriptional co-activator. The previous work of Prof. Xia Yin’s team has shown that tubular YAP activation results in chronic kidney disease in mice.

This study led by Prof. Xia identifies an unexpected physiological role of YAP in controlling final urine volume and concentration by regulating the transcription of AQP2, -3 and -4. YAP interacts with the transcription factors GATA2, GATA3 and NFATc1 to promote AQP2 transcription. The results uncover novel mechanisms underlying kidney water reabsorption.

The findings have been published in Kidney International: https://www.kidney-international.org/article/S0085-2538(22)00915-2/fulltext