Immunohistochemical assessment of intrinsic and extrinsic markers of hypoxia in reproductive tissue: differential expression of HIF1α and HIF2α in rat oviduct and endometrium

Hypoxia is thought to be critical in regulating physiological processes within the female reproductive system, including ovulation, composition of the fluid in the oviductal/uterine lumens and ovarian follicle development. This study examined the localisation of exogenous (pimonidazole) and endogenous [hypoxia inducible factor 1α and 2α (HIF1α, -2α), glucose transporter type 1 (GLUT1) and carbonic anhydrase 9 (CAIX)] hypoxia-related antigens within the oviduct and uterus of the rat reproductive tract. The extent to which each endogenous antigen co-compartmentalised with pimonidazole was also assessed. Female Wistar Furth rats (n = 10) were injected intraperitoneally with pimonidazole (60 mg/kg) 1 h prior to death. Reproductive tissues were removed immediately following death and fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde before being embedded in paraffin. Serial sections were cut (6–7 μm thick) and antigens of interest identified using standard immunohistochemical procedures. The mucosal epithelia of the ampulla, isthmus and uterus were immunopositive for pimonidazole in most sections. Co-compartmentalisation of pimonidazole with HIF1α was only expressed in the mucosa of the uterus whilst co-compartmentalisation with HIF2α was observed in the mucosa of the ampulla, isthmus and uterus. Both GLUT1 and CAIX were co-compartmentalised with pimonidazole in mucosa of the isthmus and uterus. This study confirms that mucosal regions of the rat oviduct and uterus frequently experience severe hypoxia and there are compartment specific variations in expression of endogenous hypoxia-related antigens, including the HIF isoforms. The latter observation may relate to target gene specificity of HIF isoforms or perhaps HIF2α’s responsiveness to non-hypoxic stimuli such as hypoglycaemia independently of HIF1α.     

The real face of HIF1α in the tumor process

It is well known that the hypoxia-inducible factor 1 α (HIF1α) is detectable as adaptive metabolic response to hypoxia. However, HIF1/HIF1α is detectable even under normoxic conditions, if the metabolism is altered, e.g., high proliferation index. Importantly, both hypoxic metabolism and the Warburg effect have in common a decrease of the intracellular pH value.

In our interpretation, HIF1α is not directly accumulated by hypoxia, but by a process which occurs always under hypoxic conditions, a decrease of the intracellular pH value because of metabolic imbalances. We assume that HIF1α is a sensitive controller of the intracellular pH value independently of the oxygen concentration. Moreover, HIF1α has its major role in activating genes to eliminate toxic metabolic waste products (e.g., NH₃/NH₄+) generated by the tumor-specific metabolism called glutaminolysis, which occur during hypoxia, or the Warburg effect. For that reason, HIF1α appears as a potential target for tumor therapy to disturb the pH balance and to inhibit the elimination of toxic metabolic waste products in the tumor cells.     

HIF1α Suppresses Tumor Cell Proliferation through Inhibition of Aspartate Biosynthesis

1. Download high-res image (106KB)
2. Download full-size image

     

Central Role of the Oxygen-dependent Degradation Domain of Drosophila HIFα/Sima in Oxygen-dependent Nuclear Export

The Drosophila HIFα homologue, Sima, is localized mainly in the cytoplasm in normoxia and accumulates in the nucleus upon hypoxic exposure. We have characterized the mechanism governing Sima oxygen-dependent subcellular localization and found that Sima shuttles continuously between the nucleus and the cytoplasm. We have previously shown that nuclear import depends on an atypical bipartite nuclear localization signal mapping next to the C-terminus of the protein. We show here that nuclear export is mediated in part by a CRM1-dependent nuclear export signal localized in the oxygen-dependent degradation domain (ODDD). CRM1-dependent nuclear export requires both oxygen-dependent hydroxylation of a specific prolyl residue (Pro850) in the ODDD, and the activity of the von Hippel Lindau tumor suppressor factor. At high oxygen tension rapid nuclear export of Sima occurs, whereas in hypoxia, Sima nuclear export is largely inhibited. HIFα/Sima nucleo-cytoplasmic localization is the result of a dynamic equilibrium between nuclear import and nuclear export, and nuclear export is modulated by oxygen tension.     

HIF在心肌缺血再灌注中的作用

缺氧诱导因子（HIF）是参与缺氧转录反应调控的转录调控因子,HIF的活化在缺氧时细胞中保护起重要作用,HIF及HIF依赖的基因如诱导型一氧化氪舍酶（iNOS）、血红素氧舍酶（HO-1）的激活可减轻心脏的缺血．再灌注损伤,HIF调节的基因表达可能介导了缺血预处理和缺血后处理的保护作用。本文对HIF在心肌缺血再灌注损伤中的保护作用予以综述。     

HIF 在心肌缺血再灌注中的作用

缺氧诱导因子(HIF)是参与缺氧转录反应调控的转录调控因子,HIF的活化在缺氧时细胞中保护起重要作用,HIF及HIF依赖的基因如诱导型一氧化氮合酶(iNOS)、血红素氧合酶(HO-1)的激活可减轻心脏的缺血-再灌注损伤,HIF调节的基因表达可能介导了缺血预处理和缺血后处理的保护作用。本文对HIF在心肌缺血再灌注损伤中的保护作用予以综述。     

Deletion of Iron Regulatory Protein 1 Causes Polycythemia and Pulmonary Hypertension in Mice through Translational Derepression of HIF2α

1. Download : Download high-res image (193KB)
2. Download : Download full-size image

Highlights? Irp1 deficiency causes polycythemia and pulmonary hypertension ? Irp1 regulates HIF2α translation and expression of EPO and endothelin 1 ? Irp1 represses erythropoiesis to protect tissue iron levels during iron deficiency ? A low-iron diet worsens polycythemia and causes sudden death in Irp1?/? animals     

RHOBTB3 promotes proteasomal degradation of HIFα through facilitating hydroxylation and suppresses the Warburg effect

Hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) are master regulators of adaptive responses to low oxygen, and their α-subunits are rapidly degraded through the ubiquitination-dependent proteasomal pathway after hydroxylation. Aberrant accumulation or activation of HIFs is closely linked to many types of cancer. However, how hydroxylation of HIFα and its delivery to the ubiquitination machinery are regulated remains unclear. Here we show that Rho-related BTB domain-containing protein 3 (RHOBTB3) directly interacts with the hydroxylase PHD2 to promote HIFα hydroxylation. RHOBTB3 also directly interacts with the von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) protein, a component of the E3 ubiquitin ligase complex, facilitating ubiquitination of HIFα. Remarkably, RHOBTB3 dimerizes with LIMD1, and constructs a RHOBTB3/LIMD1-PHD2-VHL-HIFα complex to effect the maximal degradation of HIFα. Hypoxia reduces the RHOBTB3-centered complex formation, resulting in an accumulation of HIFα. Importantly, the expression level of RHOBTB3 is greatly reduced in human renal carcinomas, and RHOBTB3 deficiency significantly elevates the Warburg effect and accelerates xenograft growth. Our work thus reveals that RHOBTB3 serves as a scaffold to organize a multi-subunit complex that promotes the hydroxylation, ubiquitination and degradation of HIFα.     

HIF基因突变——肿瘤代谢机制研究新发现

HIF2α是一种特异性调控红细胞增殖和细胞新陈代谢的重要转录因子.来自美国犹他大学癌症研究所(HCI)和国立卫生研究院(NIH)的研究员首次证实该基因的突变与肿瘤的发生密切相关,并将结果发表在     

免疫系统防御强，遇到缺氧HIF帮

缺氧诱导因子（hypoxia-inducible factor,HIF）是一类受氧调控的转录因子。其α亚基是氧敏感性亚基,包括HIF-1α、HIF-2α和HIF-3α,与β亚基形成异源二聚体,活化目标基因的表达以调节细胞对低氧的反应。HIF本身受到精细调节,包括转录组水平的调节,以及通过蛋白质翻译后修饰所进行的蛋白质水平的调节,以确保细胞对低氧压力产生适当反应。免疫应答常伴随局部组织的低氧状况,HIF是低氧环境中先天免疫和适应性免疫应答的重要调节因子。在天然免疫系统,HIF激活一系列与代谢相关的基因表达,调节中性粒细胞、巨噬细胞和树突状细胞的发育、极化和功能。对于适应性免疫,近年来的研究确立了HIF在CD4⁺T细胞分化和功能中的重要作用。本综述将重点讨论近年来有关HIF调节机制,及其在免疫细胞功能研究的进展。     

The Impact of HIF1α on the Per2 Circadian Rhythm in Renal Cancer Cell Lines

In mammals, the circadian rhythm central generator consists of interactions among clock genes, including Per1/2/3, Cry1/2, Bmal1, and Clock. Circadian rhythm disruption may lead to increased risk of cancer in humans, and deregulation of clock genes has been implicated in many types of cancers. Among these genes, Per2 is reported to have tumor suppressor properties, but little is known about the correlation between Per2 and HIF, which is the main target of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) therapy. In this study, the rhythmic expression of the Per2 gene was not detectable in renal cancer cell lines, with the exception of Caki-2 cells. In Caki-2 cells, HIF1α increased the amplitude of Per2 oscillation by directly binding to the HIF-binding site located on the Per2 promoter. These results indicate that HIF1α may enhance the amplitude of the Per2 circadian rhythm.     

Modulation of an IDP binding mechanism and rates by helix propensity and non-native interactions: association of HIF1α with CBP

Intrinsically disordered proteins that acquire their three dimensional structures only upon binding to their targets are very important in cellular signal regulation. While experimental studies have been made on the structures of both bound (structured) and unbound (disordered) states, less is known about the actual folding-binding transition. Coarse grained simulations using native-centric (i.e. Gō) potentials have been particularly useful in addressing this problem, given the large search space for IDP binding, but have well-known deficiencies in reproducing the unfolded state structure and dynamics. Here, we investigate the interaction of HIF1α with CBP using a hierarchy of coarse-grained models, in each case matching the binding affinity at 300 K to the experimental value. Starting from a pure Gō-like model based on the native structure of the complex we go on to consider a more realistic model of helix propensity in the HIF1α, and finally the effect of non-native interactions between binding partners. We find structural disorder (i.e."fuzziness") in the bound state of HIF1α in all models which is supported by the results of atomistic simulations. Correcting the over-stabilized helices in the unbound state gives rise to a more cooperative folding-binding transition (destabilizing partially bound intermediates). Adding non-native contacts lowers the free energy barrier for binding to an almost barrierless scenario, leading to higher binding/unbinding rates relative to the other models, in better agreement with the near diffusion-limited binding rates measured experimentally. Transition state structures for the three models are highly disordered, supporting a fly-casting mechanism for binding.