Coding region changes in the Hippo pathway component YAP1 contribute to body size differences among mammalian species

Coding-region changes in YAP1 are linked to smaller body size in rodent clades, with capybara YAP1 showing higher growth-promoting potency than mouse or vole.

• Why it matters: Species vary greatly in body size, but it is unclear whether evolutionary divergence in the Hippo pathway contributes to these differences.
• What they did: The study compared YAP1 coding sequences across mammals, finding higher dN/dS in small-rodent clades, then tested capybara, mouse, and vole YAP1 in developing Drosophila wings and in transfected mammalian cells using reporter assays.
• The result: Capybara YAP1 promoted more growth in Drosophila and drove higher reporter expression in mammalian cells than mouse or vole, implying that YAP1 coding divergence likely contributed to smaller rodent body size.

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