Vav1 is Essential for HIF-1α Activation via a Lysosomal VEGFR1-Mediated Degradation Mechanism in Endothelial Cells

The vascular response to hypoxia and ischemia is essential for maintaining homeostasis during stressful conditions and is particularly critical for vital organs such as the heart. Hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) is a central regulator of the response to hypoxia by activating transcription of numerous target genes, including vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Here we identify the guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) Vav1, a regulator of the small Rho-GTPase and cell signaling in endothelial cells, as a key vascular regulator of hypoxia. We show that Vav1 is present in the vascular endothelium and is essential for HIF-1 activation under hypoxia. So, we hypothesized that Vav1 could be a key regulator of HIF-1 signaling. In our findings, Vav1 regulates HIF-1 alpha stabilization through the p38/Siah2/PHD3 pathway. In normoxia, Vav1 binds to vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1 (VEGFR1), which directs Vav1 to lysosomes for degradation. In contrast, hypoxia upregulates Vav1 protein levels by inhibiting lysosomal degradation, which is analogous to HIF-1 alpha regulation by hypoxia: both proteins are constitutively produced and degraded in normoxia allowing for a rapid response when stress occurs. Consequently, hypoxia rapidly stabilizes Vav1, which is required for HIF-1 alpha accumulation. This shows that Vav1 is the key mediator controlling the stabilization of HIF1 alpha in hypoxic conditions. With this finding, we report a novel pathway to stabilize HIF-1, which shows a possible reason why clinical trials targeting HIF-1 has not been effective. Targeting Vav1 can be the new approach to overcome hypoxic tumors.