YAP/TAZ activity in stromal cells prevents ageing by controlling cGAS-STING.

Ageing is intimately connected to the induction of cell senescence, but why this is so remains poorly understood. A key challenge is the identification of pathways that normally suppress senescence, are lost during ageing and are functionally relevant to oppose ageing. Here we connected the structural and functional decline of ageing tissues to attenuated function of the master effectors of cellular mechanosignalling YAP and TAZ.

Mechanosignaling in vertebrate development.

Myriads forces are at play during morphogenesis. Their concerted activity shapes individual cells, tissues and the whole embryo, representing the most awe-inspiring marvel of developmental biology. In spite of their prevalence, the potential instructive role of cell mechanics in fate determination and patterning has remained long neglected, in part due to the difficulties in translating the physical world of cells in molecular terms.