The hypoxia-inducible factor-2alpha (HIF-2alpha) contributes to the vascular response to hypoxia. Hypoxia inhibits prolyl hydroxylation of the N-terminal transactivation domain (N-TAD), thus preventing binding of the von Hippel-Lindau protein (pVHL) and proteasomal degradation; additionally, hypoxia inhibits asparagyl hydroxylation of the C-TAD, thus diminishing cofactor recruitment. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) derived from NADPH oxidases (NOXs) have been shown to control vascular functions and to promote vascular remodeling. However, whether HIF-2alpha, ROS, and NOXs are linked under such nonhypoxic conditions is unclear. We found that activation of NOX4 by thrombin or H(2)O(2) increased HIF-2alpha protein because of decreased pVHL binding in pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs). Thrombin, H(2)O(2), and NOX4 overexpression increased HIF-2alpha N-TAD and C-TAD activity, which was prevented by ascorbate treatment or mutation of the hydroxylation sites in the TADs. HIF-2alpha also mediated induction of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 and the proliferative response to thrombin, H(2)O(2), or NOX4 overexpression. Thus, ROS derived from NOX4 in response to thrombin stabilize HIF-2alpha by preventing hydroxylation of the N- and C-TAD, thus allowing formation of transcriptionally active HIF-2alpha, which promotes PASMC proliferation. Together, these findings present the first evidence that HIF-2alpha is critically involved in the ROS-regulated vascular remodeling processes.

The interleukin‐6–type cytokine oncostatin M (OSM) acts via the Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription pathway as well as via activation of mitogen‐activated protein kinases and is known to critically regulate processes such as liver development and regeneration, hematopoiesis, and angiogenesis, which are also determined by hypoxia with the hypoxia‐inducible factor 1α (HIF1α) as a key component. Here we show that treatment of hepatocytes and hepatoma cells with OSM leads to an increased protein level of HIF1α under normoxic and hypoxic conditions. Furthermore, the OSM‐dependent HIF1α increase is mediated via Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 and mitogen‐activated protein kinase kinase/extracellular signal‐regulated kinase 1/2 pathways. OSM‐mediated HIF1α up‐regulation did not result from an increase in HIF1α protein stability but from increased transcription from the HIF1α gene. In addition, we show that the OSM‐induced HIF1α gene transcription and the resulting enhanced HIF1α protein levels are important for the OSM‐dependent vascular endothelial growth factor and plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 gene induction associated with several diseases. Conclusion: HIF1α levels increase significantly after treatment of hepatocytes and hepatoma cells with OSM, and HIF1α contributes to OSM downstream signaling events, pointing to a cross‐talk between cytokine and hypoxia signaling in processes such as liver development and regeneration. (HEPATOLOGY 2009.)

Flavonoids are dietary antioxidants that may play a role as adjunct nutritional supplements in cancer or during inflammatory disorders. Hypoxia and the transcription factor hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha also appear to play a key role in many human cancers. In this study, we investigated the role of quercetin in the hypoxia-dependent HIF-1alpha induction. It was shown that quercetin induced HIF-1alpha expression and HIF-1 activity under normoxia and hypoxia in human HepG2 hepatoma cells. By using actinomycin D and cycloheximide, we showed that quercetin acted post-transcriptionally by prolonging the HIF-1alpha protein half-life. Thereby quercetin interfered with the proline hydroxylation-dependent HIF-1alpha protein destabilization in the N-terminal HIF-1alpha transactivation domain. Experiments with quercetin analogues revealed that a flavonol structure and the presence of hydroxyl groups at position 3' and 4' are a prerequisite for the HIF-1alpha stabilizing effects. Further, quercetin inhibited cell proliferation and induced expression of the cell cycle inhibitor p21WAF and knocking-down HIF-1alpha disrupted these effects. These results provide evidence that quercetin inhibits the cell cycle and that induction of the HIF-system contributes to these effects of quercetin.

The serine/threonine kinase-15 (STK15) acts as a cell cycle regulator being overexpressed in various tumors. One mechanism that could contribute to overexpression of STK15 is tumor hypoxia where hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) is a major regulator of transcription. Therefore, we analyzed whether hypoxia and HIF-1 could contribute to overexpression of STK15. We found that hypoxia increased STK15 expression and STK15 promoter activity in HepG2 tumor cells. Overexpression of HIF-1 alpha induced STK15 gene transcription, whereas HIF-1 alpha siRNA and overexpression of prolyl hydroxylase 2 (PHD-2), a negative regulator of HIF-1 alpha, reversed this effect. In addition, site-directed mutagenesis experiments and chromatin immunoprecipitation revealed that from the three putative hypoxia responsive elements (HRE) within the STK15 promoter only HRE-2 was functional and bound HIF-1. Further, siRNA against STK15 inhibited proliferation of HepG2 cells induced by hypoxia. These results show that STK15 gene transcription can be regulated by hypoxia and HIF-1 via HRE-2 of the STK15 promoter. Thus, tumor hypoxia may trigger overexpression of STK15 observed in various tumors.

Hypoxia-inducible transcription factor 1alpha (HIF-1alpha) is a key player in the response to hypoxia. Additionally, HIF-1alpha responds to growth factors and hormones which can act via protein kinase B (Akt). However, HIF-1alpha is not a direct substrate for this kinase. Therefore, we investigated whether the protein kinase B target glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK-3) may have an impact on HIF-1alpha. We found that the inhibition or depletion of GSK-3 induced HIF-1alpha whereas the overexpression of GSK-3beta reduced HIF-1alpha. These effects were mediated via three amino acid residues in the oxygen-dependent degradation domain of HIF-1alpha. In addition, mutation analyses and experiments with von Hippel-Lindau (VHL)-defective cells indicated that GSK-3 mediates HIF-1alpha degradation in a VHL-independent manner. In line with these observations, the inhibition of the proteasome reversed the GSK-3 effects, indicating that GSK-3 may target HIF-1alpha to the proteasome by phosphorylation. Thus, the direct regulation of HIF-1alpha stability by GSK-3 may influence physiological processes or pathophysiological situations such as metabolic diseases or tumors.