Is HIF-1α a pro- or an anti-apoptotic protein?

• Published in: Biochemical pharmacology Vol. 64; no. 5-6; pp. 889 - 892
• Main Authors: Piret, Jean-Pascal, Mottet, Denis, Raes, Martine, Michiels, Carine
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.09.2002; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Anti-apoptotic; Apoptosis; Biological and medical sciences; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; HIF-1α; Hypoxia; Molecular and cellular biology; Molecular genetics; Pro-apoptotic; Transcription. Transcription factor. Splicing. Rna processing; HIF-1; Anti-apoptotic; VEGF; Pro-apoptotic; ARNT; Hypoxia; HIF-1α; pVHL; Apoptosis; Oxygen; TP53 Gene; Cytoprotector; Cell death; p53 Protein; Activation; Transcription factor HIF1; Gene expression; Tumor suppressor gene
• ISSN: 0006-2952; 1873-2968
• DOI: 10.1016/S0006-2952(02)01155-3

Hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) is the major transcription factor specifically activated by hypoxia. It induces the expression of different genes whose products play an adaptive role for hypoxic cells and tissues. Besides these protective responses, HIF-1 and/or hypoxia have also been shown to be either anti-apoptotic or pro-apoptotic, according to the cell type and experimental conditions. More severe or prolonged hypoxia rather induces apoptosis that is, at least in part, initiated by the direct association of HIF-1α and p53 and p53-induced gene expression. On the other hand, HIF-1α dimerized with ARNT, as an active transcription factor, can protect cells from apoptosis induced by several conditions. This review is aimed to describe the different mechanisms that account for these opposite effects of HIF-1α.