Transient YAP activation uncovers the neurogenic potential of proliferative mammalian Müller glia.

Abstract

The Hippo pathway effector YAP promotes spontaneous proliferation of Müller glia (MG), suggesting that bypassing Hippo signaling and activating YAP could enhance retinal regeneration. However, whether proliferative adult MGs retain meaningful neurogenic competence remains unclear. Here, using viral delivery of a Hippo-resistant YAP variant to wild-type adult MGs, we achieved transient YAP activation in adult MGs, inducing proliferation followed by cell-cycle withdrawal and differentiation. Intersectional genetic lineage tracing and EdU labeling, combined with transcriptomic analyses, revealed that YAP-activated MGs predominantly regenerate MGs, whereas only a subset gives rise to bipolar cell-like neurons. These results indicate that proliferative MGs acquire a state resembling that of late-stage retinal progenitors, with limited neurogenic lineage potential. We conclude that YAP-activated cell-cycle reentry inefficiently reprograms adult MGs toward photoreceptor or ganglion cell fates. These findings define the limited competence of proliferative adult MGs to contribute to neurogenic fates and provide a rigorous framework for assessing in vivo glial reprogramming strategies.