Differential gene up-regulation by hypoxia-inducible factor-1α and hypoxia-inducible factor-2α in HEK293T cells

Cells exposed to hypoxia respond by increasing the level of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1). This factor then activates a number of genes by binding to hypoxia response elements in their promoter regions. A second hypoxia-responsive factor, HIF-2, can activate many of the same genes as HIF-1. Overexpression of HIFs accompanies the pathogenesis of many tumors. It is unclear, however, as to the respective role of these factors in responsiveness to hypoxia and other stresses. To address this issue, we used microarray technology to study the genes activated in HEK293T cells by hypoxia or transfection with the alpha chain of HIF-1 (or mutant HIF-1 resistant to degradation) or HIF-2. Fifty-six genes were found to be upregulated at least 3-fold by either hypoxia or transfection. Of these, 21 were elevated both by transfection with HIF-1 alpha and with HIF-2 alpha, and 14 were preferentially activated by HIF-1 alpha including several involved in glycolysis. Ten genes were preferentially activated by HIF-2 alpha, including two (CACNA1A and PTPRZ1) implicated in neurologic diseases. Interestingly, most HIF-2 alpha-responsive genes were not substantially activated by hypoxia. An additional 10 genes were up-regulated by hypoxia but minimally activated by HIF-1 alpha or HIF-2 alpha transfection. Ten of the genes were studied by quantitative real-time PCR and/or by Northern blot and the results paralleled those found with microarray technology. Although confirmation in other systems will be necessary, these results indicate that whereas some genes are robustly activated by both HIF-1 and HIF-2, others can be preferentially activated by one or the other factor.