What is it about?
During development, the cells undergo programmed cell death, a suicide process, to ensure proper formation of tissues and organs. Failures in this cell death process also contribute to cancers. This study focuses on the Hippo kinases which are well known for their importance in tissue formation and anti-cancer activity and discover a new link to immunity against infection. Remarkably, when immune cells detect invasion of bacterial pathogens, the Hippo kinases are converted into smaller proteins to promote cell death, illustrating a fascinating reprogramming mechanism by which the immune cells used to fight infection.
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Why is it important?
The findings highlight an extensive integration of the Hippo kinases in many cellular activities, including development, anti-tumor formation, and immunity. Identifying the Hippo kinases as key factors in immunity allows development of new therapeutics to boost our defense against microbial pathogens.
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This page is a summary of: Activation of the conserved Hippo kinases by inflammasome-triggered proteolytic cleavage controls programmed cell death in macrophages, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, January 2025, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2418613122.
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