669 publications from this institution
Our results support the development of therapies targeting both ANGPTL4 and VEGF for the treatment of patients with pterygia.
Hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) is a basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor which is expressed when mammalian cells are subjected to hypoxia and which activates transcription of genes encoding erythropoietin, vascular endothelial growth factor, and other proteins that are important for maintaining oxygen homeostasis. Previous studies have provided indirect evidence that HIF-1 also regulates transcription of genes encoding glycolytic enzymes. In this paper we characterize hypoxia response elements in the promoters of the ALDA, ENO1, and Ldha genes. We demonstrate that HIF-1 plays an essential role in activating transcription via these elements and show that although absolutely necessary, the presence of a HIF-1 binding site alone is not sufficient to mediate transcriptional responses to hypoxia. Analysis of hypoxia response elements in the ENO1 and Ldha gene promoters revealed that each contains two functionally-essential HIF-1 sites arranged as direct and inverted repeats, respectively. Our data establish that functional hypoxia-response elements consist of a pair of contiguous transcription factor binding sites at least one of which contains the core sequence 5'-RCGTG-3' and is recognized by HIF-1. These results provide further evidence that the coordinate transcriptional activation of genes encoding glycolytic enzymes which occurs in hypoxic cells is mediated by HIF-1.
Hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) mediates transcriptional responses to hypoxia. HIF-1 is composed of an O2- and growth factor-regulated HIF-1alpha subunit and a constitutively-expressed HIF-1beta subunit. Four lines of evidence indicate that HIF-1 contributes to tumor progression. First, HIF-1 controls the expression of gene products that stimulate angiogenesis, such as vascular endothelial growth factor, and promote metabolic adaptation to hypoxia, such as glucose transporters and glycolytic enzymes, thus providing a molecular basis for involvement of HIF-1 in tumor growth and angiogenesis. Second, in mouse xenograft models, tumor growth and angiogenesis are inhibited by loss of HIF-1 activity and stimulated by HIF-1alpha overexpression. Third, immunohistochemical analyses of human tumor biopsies indicate that HIF-1alpha is overexpressed in common cancers and that the level of expression is correlated with tumor grade, angiogenesis, and mortality. Fourth, in addition to intratumoral hypoxia, genetic alterations in tumor suppressor genes and oncogenes induce HIF-1 activity.
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is one of the most common causes of hypertension in western societies. OSA causes chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH) in specialized O 2 -sensing glomus cells of the carotid body. CIH generates increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) that trigger a feedforward mechanism in which increased intracellular calcium levels ([Ca 2+ ] i ) trigger increased HIF-1α synthesis and increased HIF-2α degradation. As a result, the normal homeostatic balance between HIF-1α-dependent prooxidant and HIF-2α-dependent antioxidant enzymes is disrupted, leading to further increases in ROS. Carotid body sensory nerves project to the nucleus tractus solitarii, from which the information is relayed via interneurons to the rostral ventrolateral medulla in the brain stem, which sends sympathetic neurons to the adrenal medulla to stimulate the release of epinephrine and norepinephrine, catecholamines that increase blood pressure. At each synapse, neurotransmitters trigger increased [Ca 2+ ] i , HIF-1α:HIF-2α, and Nox2:Sod2 activity that generates increased ROS levels. These responses are not observed in other regions of the brain stem that do not receive input from the carotid body or signal to the sympathetic nervous system. Thus sympathetic nervous system homeostasis is dependent on a balance between HIF-1α and HIF-2α, disruption of which results in hypertension in OSA patients.
Abstract Breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) play a critical role in tumor recurrence and metastasis. Exposure of breast cancer cells to chemotherapy leads to an enrichment of BCSCs. Here, we demonstrate that chemotherapy induces the expression of glutathione S-transferase omega 1 (GSTO1), which is dependent on hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) and HIF-2. Knockdown of GSTO1 expression abrogates carboplatin-induced BCSC enrichment, decreases tumor initiation and metastatic capacity, and delays tumor recurrence after chemotherapy. GSTO1 interacts with ryanodine receptor RYR1 and promotes calcium release from endoplasmic reticulum. Increased cytosolic calcium levels activate PYK2 → SRC → STAT3 signaling, leading to increased expression of pluripotency factors and BCSC enrichment. HIF inhibition blocks chemotherapy-induced GSTO1 expression and BCSC enrichment. Combining HIF inhibitors with chemotherapy may improve clinical outcome in breast cancer. Citation Format: Haiquan Lu, Gregg Semenza. Chemotherapy-induced GSTO1 interacts with ryanodine receptor RYR1 to trigger Ca2+-dependent breast cancer stem cell enrichment [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 3066.
Red blood cells transport O 2 from the lungs to body tissues. Hypoxia stimulates kidney cells to secrete erythropoietin (EPO), which increases red cell mass. Hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) mediate EPO gene transcriptional activation. HIF-α subunits are subject to O 2 -dependent prolyl hydroxylation and then bound by the von Hippel–Lindau protein (VHL), which triggers their ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation. Mutations in the genes encoding EPO, EPO receptor, HIF-2α, prolyl hydroxylase domain protein 2 (PHD2), or VHL cause familial erythrocytosis. In addition to O 2 , α-ketoglutarate is a substrate for PHD2, and analogs of α-ketoglutarate inhibit hydroxylase activity. In phase III clinical trials evaluating the treatment of anemia in chronic kidney disease, HIF prolyl hydroxylase inhibitors were as efficacious as darbepoetin alfa in stimulating erythropoiesis. However, safety concerns have arisen that are focused on thromboembolism, which is also a phenotypic manifestation of VHL or HIF-2α mutation, suggesting that these events are on-target effects of HIF prolyl hydroxylase inhibitors.
We have identified a 50-nucleotide enhancer from the human erythropoietin gene 3'-flanking sequence which can mediate a sevenfold transcriptional induction in response to hypoxia when cloned 3' to a simian virus 40 promoter-chloramphenicol acetyltransferase reporter gene and transiently expressed in Hep3B cells. Nucleotides (nt) 1 to 33 of this sequence mediate sevenfold induction of reporter gene expression when present in two tandem copies compared with threefold induction when present in a single copy, suggesting that nt 34 to 50 bind a factor which amplifies the induction signal. DNase I footprinting demonstrated binding of a constitutive nuclear factor to nt 26 to 48. Mutagenesis studies revealed that nt 4 to 12 and 19 to 23 are essential for induction, as substitutions at either site eliminated hypoxia-induced expression. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays identified a nuclear factor which bound to a probe spanning nt 1 to 18 but not to a probe containing a mutation which eliminated enhancer function. Factor binding was induced by hypoxia, and its induction was sensitive to cycloheximide treatment. We have thus defined a functionally tripartite, 50-nt hypoxia-inducible enhancer which binds several nuclear factors, one of which is induced by hypoxia via de novo protein synthesis.
Hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) are transcriptional activators that function as master regulators of oxygen homeostasis, which is disrupted in disorders affecting the circulatory system and in cancer. The role of HIFs in these diseases has been elucidated by clinical studies and by analyses of mouse models. HIFs play a protective role in the pathophysiology of myocardial ischemia due to coronary artery disease, limb ischemia due to peripheral arterial disease, pressure-overload heart failure, wound healing, and chronic rejection of organ transplants. In contrast, HIFs contribute to the pathogenesis of pulmonary arterial hypertension, systemic hypertension associated with sleep apnea, ocular neovascularization, hereditary erythrocytosis, and cancer.
Significance Hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) is required for adaptive changes to low oxygen levels, which include a reduced rate of cell division. However, many cell types continue to proliferate under hypoxic conditions. Here, we show that cyclin-dependent kinases 1 and 2 physically and functionally interact with HIF-1α, inhibiting and promoting its degradation by lysosomes, respectively. Cancer cells that proliferate under hypoxia failed to do so when treated with lysosome inhibitors. Our studies reveal that HIF-1α levels are coupled to phases of the cell cycle through lysosomal degradation and identify a novel role for the lysosome as a regulator of cell-cycle progression under hypoxic conditions.
