Hippo-YAP/TAZ signaling coordinates adipose plasticity and energy balance by uncoupling leptin expression from fat mass
Adipose tissues serve as an energy reservoir and endocrine organ, yet the mechanisms that coordinate these functions remain elusive. Here, we show that transcriptional coregulators YAP and TAZ mediate the crosstalk between fat mass and leptin levels to maintain metabolic homeostasis. Activating YAP/TAZ in adipocytes by Lats1 and Lats2 deletion results in a profound reduction in fat mass by converting mature adipocytes into delipidated progenitor-like cells. Surprisingly, Lats1/2 knockout mice did not exhibit lipodystrophy-related metabolic dysfunction, attributed to a paradoxical increase in circulating leptin levels. Mechanistically, YAP/TAZ-TEAD signaling upregulates leptin expression by directly binding an upstream enhancer site of the leptin gene. We further show that YAP/TAZ activity is linked to, and functionally required for, leptin regulation during fasting and refeeding. These results suggest that adipocyte Hippo-YAP/TAZ plays an essential role in coordinating adipose storage capacity and systemic energy balance through dual control of adipocyte plasticity and leptin gene transcription.