Transcriptional activity of Yap/Taz is essential for macropinocytosis and cell growth requiring the catabolism of extracellular proteins. (A) Western blot of FLAG immunoprecipitates and input lysates from Yap/Taz dKO KRPC cells transduced with retroviruses containing a doxycycline-inducible, FLAG-tagged, Taz cDNA (either wild type, S89A, or S51A mutant) or empty vector. Cells were cultured for 24 h in 100 ng/mL doxycycline prior to harvest. (B) Relative expression of Ankrd1 and Axl mRNA in WT KRPC or Yap/Taz dKO cells transduced with retroviruses containing a doxycycline-inducible Yap or Taz cDNA (wild type or with the indicated mutation) after culture for 24 h in 100 ng/mL doxycycline. Bars represent mean ± SD of three biological replicates. (C) Uptake of fluorescent dextran (left panel) and albumin (right panel) in Yap/Taz dKO cells transduced with retroviruses containing a doxycycline-inducible Yap or Taz cDNA after culture for 24 h in 100 ng/mL doxycycline. Bars represents mean ± SEM fluorescence intensity per cell, across 12 fields of view. (D) Growth of WT KRPC or Yap/Taz dKO cells transduced with retroviruses containing a doxycycline-inducible Yap or Taz cDNA after 96 h in leucine-free medium + 3% BSA and 100 ng/mL doxycycline. Bars represent mean ± s.d. of three technical replicates. (***) P < 0.0001, (**) P < 0.005, (*) P < 0.05 one-way ANOVA, for C and D.