Figure 7: YAP and TAZ control UB tip fate and structure.
From: A critical role for NF2 and the Hippo pathway in branching morphogenesis
(a,b) Kidney explants of YapUB−/− mutants show reduced branching with cyst-like morphology after 48 h. (c–f) Whole-mount immunostaining reveals abnormal UB branching of Yap/TazUB−/− embryos compared with controls in vivo (E13, c,d) and ex vivo (kidney culture, e, f). (g–p) In E12.5 controls, Ret, ETV5, Crlf1, Etv4 and Dusp6 are expressed in UB tips (pink arrows) but not in trunk segments (yellow arrowheads). In Yap/TazUB−/− mutants, the entire UB epithelium expresses these genes, suggesting a shift towards tip identity. (q) Model figure: see discussion for description. Scale bars represent 100 μm.
