Project description:Cytochrome-c-oxidase (COX) subunit 4 (COX4) plays important roles in the function, assembly and regulation of COX (mitochondrial respiratory complex 4), the terminal electron acceptor of the oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) system. The principal COX4 isoform, COX4-1, is expressed in all tissues, whereas COX4-2 is mainly expressed in the lungs, or under hypoxia and other stress conditions. We have previously described a patient with a COX4-1 defect with a relatively mild clinical presentation compared to other primary COX deficiencies, and hypothesized that this could be the result of compensatory upregulation of COX4-2. To this end, COX4-1 was downregulated using a stable expression of COX4I1-targeting shRNAs in human foreskin fibroblasts (HFF), to mirror and compare it to the primary patient's cells. COX4-1, COX4-2 and HIF-1α were detected by immunocytochemistry. The mRNA transcripts of both COX4 isoforms and HIF-1 target genes were carried out by RT-qPCR. COX activity and OXPHOS function were measured by enzymatic and oxygen consumption assays, respectively. Pathways were analyzed by CEL-Seq2 and by RT-qPCR.
Project description:Clearance of apoptotic cancer cells by macrophages, known as efferocytosis, fuels the bone-metastatic growth of prostate cancer cells via pro-inflammatory and immunosuppressive mechanisms that are still unclear. In this study, single-cell transcriptomics of bone marrow macrophages undergoing efferocytosis of apoptotic prostate cancer cells revealed a significant enrichment of a cellular response to hypoxia. Here we show that efferocytic macrophages promote HIF-1α stabilization under normoxic conditions through interaction with phosphorylated STAT3. Inflammatory cytokine gene expression analysis of efferocytic HIF-1α-mutant macrophages revealed a reduced expression of the pro-tumorigenic Mif. Furthermore, stabilization of HIF-1α using the HIF-prolyl-hydroxylase inhibitor, Roxadustat, enhanced MIF expression in macrophages. Finally, macrophages treated with recombinant MIF protein activated NF-κB (p65) signaling increased the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Altogether, these findings suggest that the clearance of apoptotic cancer cell by tumor-associated macrophages triggers p-STAT3/HIF-1α/MIF signaling to enhance tumor-promoting inflammation in bone, suggesting this axis as a target for metastatic prostate cancer.
Project description:Mutational inactivation of VHL is the earliest genetic event in the majority of ccRCCs, leading to activation of the HIF-1α and HIF-2α transcription factors. While correlative studies of human ccRCCs and functional studies using human ccRCC cell lines have implicated HIF-1α as an inhibitor and HIF-2α as a promoter of aggressive tumour behaviours, their roles in tumour onset have not been functionally addressed. Using an autochthonous ccRCC model, we show genetically that Hif1a is necessary for tumour formation whereas Hif2a deletion has only minor effects on tumour initiation and growth. Both HIF-1α and HIF-2α are necessary for the clear cell phenotype. Transcriptomic and proteomic analyses revealed that HIF-1α regulates glycolysis while HIF-2α regulates genes associated with lipoprotein metabolism, ribosome biogenesis and E2F and MYC transcriptional activities. Deficiency of HIF-2α increased CD8+ T cell infiltration and activation. These studies reveal different functions of HIF-1α and HIF-2α in ccRCC. SIGNIFICANCE The roles of HIF-1α and HIF-2α in ccRCC pathogenesis remain unclear. Using a mouse genetic approach we show that HIF-1α but not HIF-2α is important for tumour formation, contrary to predictions from studies of human ccRCC. We show that HIF-1α and HIF-2α transcriptionally regulate different aspects of metabolism and identify HIF-2α as a suppressor of immune cell infiltration and activation.
Project description:Bone is a highly dynamic tissue undergoing continuous formation and resorption. Here, we investigated differential but complementary roles of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α and HIF-2α in regulating bone remodeling. Using RNA-seq analysis, we identified that specific genes involved in regulating osteoblast differentiation were similarly but slightly differently governed by HIF-1α and HIF-2α. We found that increased HIF-1α expression inhibited osteoblast differentiation via inhibiting RUNX2 function by upregulation of Twist2, confirmed using Hif1a conditional knockout (KO) mouse. Ectopic expression of HIF-1α via adenovirus transduction resulted in the increased expression and activity of RANKL, while knockdown of Hif1a expression via siRNA or osteoblast-specific depletion of Hif1a in conditional KO mice had no discernible effect on osteoblast-mediated osteoclast activation. The unexpected outcome was elucidated by the upregulation of HIF-2α upon Hif1a overexpression, providing evidence that Hif2a is a transcriptional target of HIF-1α in regulating RANKL expression, verified through an experiment of HIF-2α knockdown after HIF-1α overexpression. The above results were validated in an ovariectomized- and aging-induced osteoporosis model using Hif1a conditional KO mice. Our findings conclude that HIF-1α plays an important role in regulating bone homeostasis by controlling osteoblast differentiation, and in influencing osteoclast formation through the regulation of RANKL secretion via HIF-2α modulation.
Project description:To investigate the detailed molecular mechanisms for the regulatory role of HIF-1α in colon, microarray gene expression analysis was performed on colon RNA isolated from 6- to 8-week-old Hif-1α+/+, Hif-1αLSL/LSL mice. Background & Aims: The progression and growth of solid tumors leads to a state where tumors outgrow their capacity for efficient oxygenation and nutrient uptake and an increase in tumor hypoxia. Tumor hypoxic response is mediated by hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1a and HIF-2a. These transcription factors regulate a battery of genes that are critical for tumor oxygenation, tumor metabolism, and cell proliferation and survival. Therefore, inhibitors of HIF have been sought for as anti-neoplastic agents in several different kinds of cancers. Interestingly, in ischemic and inflammatory diseases of the intestine, activation of HIF-1a is beneficial, and can reduce intestinal inflammation. The efficacy of pharmacological agents that chronically activate HIF-1a are decreased due to the tumorigenic potential of HIF. However, recent advance in understanding HIF signaling have identified mechanisms, which could allow for isoform specific activators. Activation of HIF-2a increases colon carcinogenesis and progression in mouse models. However, the role of chronic HIF-1a activation is unclear in the progression in colon cancer. The present data demonstrates that activation of HIF-1a in epithelial cells does not increase colon carcinogens or progression in two mouse models of colon cancer, and provides the proof of principle that HIF-1a activation maybe safe as therapies for inflammatory bowel disease. Global gene expression profiling in colon RNAs isolated from 6- to 8-week-old Hif-1α+/+ (n=5, Shah 019) and Hif-1αLSL/LSL (n=5, Shah 020).
Project description:Analysis of Huh-7 hepatocarcinoma cell line depleted of NDRG3 or HIF-1α under hypoxic condition. HIF-1α and NDRG3 have distinct functions in hypoxia responses. Results provide insight into molecular basis of HIF-independent signaling in the development and progression of hypoxic tumors Gene expression profiles of Huh-7 cells stably expressing NDRG3-shRNA or HIF-1α-shRNA under normoxia were compared to gene expression profiles of Huh-7 stable cells under hypoxia for 6, 12 and 24 hours.
Project description:Hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) is a master regulator of glucose metabolism in cancer cells. Here, we demonstrate that a HIF-1α anti-sense lncRNA, HIFAL, is essential for maintaining and enhancing HIF-1α-mediated transactivation and glycolysis. Mechanistically, HIFAL recruits PHD3 to PKM2 to induce its prolyl hydroxylation and introduces the PKM2/PHD3 complex into the nucleus via binding with hnRNPF to enhance HIF-1α transactivation. Reciprocally, HIF-1α induces HIFAL transcription, which forms a positive feed-forward loop to maintain the transactivation activity of HIF-1α. Clinically, high HIFAL expression is associated with aggressive breast cancer phenotype and poor patient outcome. Furthermore, HIFAL overexpression promotes tumor growth in vivo, while targeting both HIFAL and HIF-1α significantly rescues their effect on cancer growth. Overall, our results indicate a critical regulatory role of HIFAL in HIF-1α-driven transactivation and glycolysis, identifying HIFAL as a therapeutic target for cancer treatment.
Project description:Hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) is a critical transcription factor for the hypoxic response, angiogenesis, normal hematopoietic stem cell regulation, and cancer development. Importantly, HIF-1α is also a key regulator for immune cell activation. In order to determine whether HIF-1α is sufficient for developing MDS phenotypes, we generated blood specific inducible HIF-1α transgenic mice. Using Vav1-Cre/Rosa26-loxP-Stop-loxP (LSL) rtTA driver, stable HIF-1α can be induced in a doxycycline administration dependent manner. After induction, HIF-1α-induced mice developed thrombocytopenia, leukocytopenia, macrocytic anemia, and multi-lineage dysplasia. We also found activation of both innate and adaptive immunity in HIF-1α- induced mice compared to those from control mice. Taken together, these data suggest that HIF-1α is sufficient to trigger a variety of key MDS features
Project description:Defining mechanism(s) that maintain tissue stem quiescence is important for improving tissue regeneration, cell therapies, aging, and cancer. We report here that genetic ablation of Id2 in adult hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) promotes increased HSC activation and differentiation, which results in HSC exhaustion and bone marrow failure over time. Id2Δ/Δ HSCs show increased HSC cycling, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, mitochondrial activation, and DNA damage supporting the conclusion that Id2Δ/Δ HSCs are less quiescent. Mechanistically, HIF-1α expression is decreased in Id2Δ/Δ HSCs, and stabilization of HIF-1α in Id2Δ/Δ HSCs restores HSC quiescence and rescues HSC exhaustion. ID2 promotes HIF-1α expression by binding to the Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) protein and interfering with proteasomal degradation of HIF-1α. HIF-1α promotes Id2 expression and enforces a positive feedback loop between ID2 and HIF-1α to maintain HSC quiescence. Thus, sustained ID2 expression could protect HSCs during stress, and improve HSC expansion for gene editing and cell therapies.
Project description:Defining mechanism(s) that maintain tissue stem quiescence is important for improving tissue regeneration, cell therapies, aging, and cancer. We report here that genetic ablation of Id2 in adult hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) promotes increased HSC activation and differentiation, which results in HSC exhaustion and bone marrow failure over time. Id2Δ/Δ HSCs show increased cycling, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, mitochondrial activation, ATP production, and DNA damage compared to Id2+/+ HSCs, supporting the conclusion that Id2Δ/Δ HSCs are less quiescent. Mechanistically, HIF-1α expression is decreased in Id2Δ/Δ HSCs, and stabilization of HIF-1α in Id2Δ/Δ HSCs restores HSC quiescence and rescues HSC exhaustion. ID2 promotes HIF-1α expression by binding to the Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) protein and interfering with proteasomal degradation of HIF-1α. HIF-1α promotes Id2 expression and enforces a positive feedback loop between ID2 and HIF-1α to maintain HSC quiescence. Thus, sustained ID2 expression could protect HSCs during stress, and improve HSC expansion for gene editing and cell therapies.