Dynamic Hippo pathway activity underlies mesenchymal differentiation during lung alveolar morphogenesis

Abstract

Alveologenesis, the final stage in lung development, substantially remodels the distal lung, expanding the alveolar surface area for efficient gas exchange. Secondary crest myofibroblasts (SCMF) exist transiently in the neonatal distal lung and are critical for alveologenesis. However, the pathways that regulate SCMF function, proliferation, and temporal identity remain poorly understood. To address this, we purified SCMFs from reporter mice, performed bulk RNA-sequencing, and found dynamic changes in Hippo-signaling components during alveologenesis. We deleted Hippo effectors, Yap/Taz, from Acta2-expressing SCMFs at the onset of alveologenesis, causing a significant arrest in alveolar development. Using scRNA-seq, we identified a distinct cluster of cells in mutant lungs with altered expression of marker genes associated with proximal mesenchymal cell types, airway smooth muscle (ASM), and alveolar duct myofibroblasts (DMF). Using lineage tracing, we show that neonatal Acta2-expressing SCMFs give rise to adult DMFs and that Yap/Taz mutants have an increase of persisting DMF-like cells in the alveolar ducts. Our findings identify plasticity in neonatal lung myofibroblasts and demonstrate that Yap/Taz are critical for maintaining lineage commitment along the proximal-distal axis.