YAP and p73: A matter of mutual specificity in tumor suppression

YAP and p73 proteins are key nodes of two distinct tumor suppressor pathways. The HIPPO tumor suppressor pathway to which YAP belongs is the most recent identified in the cancer arena, while that of the p53 family including p73 is the most well studied and characterized. Often in response to anticancer treatment, distinct tumor suppressor pathways can be triggered and cross talk each other. This is well represented by the growing experimental evidence linking HIPPO and p53 family tumor suppressor pathways. Here we mainly focus on the physical and functional interaction between YAP and p73 proteins, their role in drug-induced apoptosis and their implications in tumor suppression.