YAP1 and cystic kidney disease: These findings suggest shared regulation and function between TAZ and YAP; however, there are some apparent differences between them [23]: Although YAP knockout animals are embryonic lethal [25], TAZ null mice are characterized by renal cysts that lead to end stage kidney disease [26], [27]; however, mice lacking both YAP and TAZ die exceptionally early, suggesting there is a potential synergy between YAP and TAZ that exacerbates the individual effects of YAP and TAZ knockout during the embryonic period of mice [28].