Liver regeneration requires Yap1-TGFβ-dependent epithelial-mesenchymal transition in hepatocytes.

•During liver regeneration, hepatocytes transiently proliferate despite active TGFβ signaling.•Regenerating hepatocytes reduce epithelial markers and increase mesenchymal markers.•Hepatocyte knockout of Yap1 reduces this transient epithelial-mesenchymal transition.•TGFβ and Yap1 cooperate to reprogram regenerating hepatocytes to a more primitive state.