Graphical abstract. In the granulosa cell, AKAP13 has a regulatory role in Rho activation and F-actin polymerization. (indicated as 1a) Mechanical signaling, such as changes in cellular density and ECM stiffness, and (see 1b) AKAP13 can promote F-actin polymerization, which turns off Hippo pathway genes (number 2) leading to YAP/TAZ migration into the nucleus to bind with TEAD (red arrow) and leads to an increase in cell growth factors (CCN2/ CTGF and BIRC, cellular proliferation, and follicle activation. To evaluate upstream changes of cell growth, transient transfection of a human granulosa tumor cell line with a TEAD-luc reporter was used to measure changes in nuclear YAP/TAZ deoxyribonucleic acid binding to TEAD and transcription of growth factors. AKAP13 = A-kinase anchoring protein 13; BIRC= baculoviral inhibitors of apoptosis repeat containing; CTGF= connective tissue growth factor; ECM = extracellular matrix; GTP = guanosine-5′-triphosphate; TAZ = transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif; TEAD = Tea domain family; TEAD-luc = TEAD luciferase; YAP = yes-associated protein.