YAP/TEAD are nuclear effectors of the Hippo pathway, regulating organ size and tumorigenesis largely through promoter-associated function. However, their function as enhancer regulators remains poorly understood. Through an in vivo proximity-dependent labeling (BioID) technique, we identified YAP1 and TEAD4 protein as co-regulators of ERα on enhancers. The binding of YAP1/TEAD4 to ERα-bound enhancers is augmented upon E2 stimulation and is required for the induction of E2/ERα target genes and E2-induced oncogenic cell growth. Furthermore, their enhancer binding is a prerequisite for enhancer activation marked by eRNA transcription and for the recruitment of the enhancer activation machinery component MED1. The binding of TEAD4 on active ERE-containing enhancers is independent of its DNA-binding behavior, and instead, occurs through protein-tethering trans-binding. Our data reveal a non-canonical function of YAP1 and TEAD4 as ERα cofactors in regulating cancer growth, highlighting the potential of YAP/TEAD as possible actionable drug targets for ERα+ breast cancer.
KEYWORDS: ERα, Hippo signaling, YAP/TEAD, breast cancer, enhancer, estrogen signaling, transcriptional regulation