Hypoxia-inducible factor-1 and neuroglobin expression

Neuroglobin (Ngb) is a hypoxia-inducible protein with cytoprotective effects in animal models of stroke, Alzheimer's disease, and related disorders, but the molecular mechanisms involved in its induction are unknown. We tested the hypothesis that hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) regulates Ngb levels, using shRNA-mediated knockdown and lentiviral vector-mediated overexpression of the HIF-1 alpha sub-unit, in cultured neural (HN33) cells. HIF-1 alpha knockdown decreased and HIF-1 alpha overexpression increased Ngb levels, consistent with a connection between HIF-1 and Ngb induction. These findings may have implications for understanding the hypoxia-response repertoire of neural cells and devising therapeutic strategies for neurologic disorders. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.