Publications by authors named "Dana Elster"

Rhabdomyosarcoma is the most common pediatric soft tissue tumor, comprising two major subtypes: the PAX3/7-FOXO1 fusion-negative embryonal and the PAX3/7-FOXO1 fusion-positive alveolar subtype. Here, we demonstrate that the expression levels of the transcriptional repressor TRPS1 are specifically enhanced in the embryonal subtype, resulting in impaired terminal myogenic differentiation and tumor growth. During normal myogenesis, expression levels of TRPS1 have to decrease to allow myogenic progression, as demonstrated by overexpression of TRPS1 in myoblasts impairing myotube formation.

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The two transcriptional coactivators YAP/TAZ act as the downstream transducers of the Hippo pathway. Recent studies have demonstrated that those two transcriptional regulators are crucial for an organism in order to induce a regenerative response upon tissue damage. In addition, YAP/TAZ are promising targets for regenerative medicine, as artificially increasing YAP/TAZ activity can be used to stimulate tissue regeneration, even in tissues that otherwise have little ability to regenerate.

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In the original version of this Article, financial support was not fully acknowledged. The PDF and HTML versions of the Article have now been corrected to include the following: "This work was supported by the Francis Crick Institute, which receives its core funding from Cancer Research UK (FC001144), the UK Medical Research Council (FC001144), and the Wellcome Trust (FC001144)." https://doi.

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Yes-associated protein (YAP), the downstream transducer of the Hippo pathway, is a key regulator of organ size, differentiation and tumorigenesis. To uncover Hippo-independent YAP regulators, we performed a genome-wide CRISPR screen that identifies the transcriptional repressor protein Trichorhinophalangeal Syndrome 1 (TRPS1) as a potent repressor of YAP-dependent transactivation. We show that TRPS1 globally regulates YAP-dependent transcription by binding to a large set of joint genomic sites, mainly enhancers.

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c-Myc (MYC) is an oncogenic transcription factor that is commonly overexpressed in a wide variety of human tumors. In breast cancer, MYC has recently been linked to the triple-negative subtype, a subtype that lacks any targeted therapy. Previously, we demonstrated that MYC behaves as a potent repressor of YAP and TAZ, 2 transcriptional coactivators that function as downstream transducers of the Hippo pathway.

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