PERK/eIF2α signaling inhibits HIF-induced gene expression during the unfolded protein response via YB1-dependent regulation of HIF1α translation

HIF1 alpha (hypoxia inducible factor 1 alpha) is the central regulator of the cellular response to low oxygen and its activity is deregulated in multiple human pathologies. Consequently, given the importance of HIF signaling in disease, there is considerable interest in developing strategies to modulate HIF1 alpha activity and down-stream signaling events. In the present study we find that under hypoxic conditions, activation of the PERK branch of the unfolded protein response (UPR) can suppress the levels and activity of HIF1 alpha by preventing efficient HIF1 alpha translation. Activation of PERK inhibits de novo HIF1 alpha protein synthesis by preventing the RNA-binding protein, YB-1, from interacting with the HIF1 alpha mRNA 5'UTR. Our data indicate that activation of the UPR can sensitise tumor cells to hypoxic stress, indicating that chemical activation of the UPR could be a strategy to target hypoxic malignant cancer cells.