Hiroshi Sasaki

The paper shows SOX2 terminates trophectoderm competence in inner cell mass by closing Hippo signaling-responsive enhancers through chromatin closure.

The paper shows that epiblast fate specification involves a positive feedback loop between NANOG and TEAD-YAP, which stabilizes the epiblast fate.

The paper identifies two mechanisms that promote YAP nuclear localization during epiblast formation: blastocoel expansion increasing F-actin and reducing YAP phosphorylation, and SOX2-mediated AMOT degradation.

The paper identifies a regulatory loop between CENP-C and Aurora B kinase mediated by the Mis12 complex, essential for correcting kinetochore-microtubule attachment errors during mitosis.

The paper identifies Tead-Yap regulation of pluripotency factors and cell competition in epiblast formation, showing Tead activity drives pluripotency and eliminates unspecified cells.