Cyclosporin A prevents the hypoxic adaptation by activating hypoxia-inducible factor-1α Pro-564 hydroxylation

The mechanism by which hypoxia induces gene transcription involves the inhibition of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1alpha prolyl hydroxylase activity, which prevents von Hippel-Lindau (vHL)-dependent targeting of HIF-1alpha to the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. HIF-1alpha is stabilized, translocates to the nucleus, interacts with hypoxia-responsive elements, and promotes the activation of target genes. This report shows that cyclosporin A (CsA) interferes with the hypoxic signaling cascade in C6 glioma cells. CsA inhibits hypoxia-dependent gene transcription in a reporter gene assay and prevents the hypoxic accumulation of HIF-1alpha. Addition of the 530603 C-terminal oxygen-dependent degradation (ODD) domain of HIF-1alpha to the green fluorescent protein (GFP) destabilized the protein in an oxygen-dependent manner. CsA prevented the hypoxic stabilization of an ODD.GFP fusion protein. An assay for 2-oxoglutarate-dependent dioxygenases was developed using a light mitochondrial kidney fraction as a source of enzyme. It uses the capacity of specific peptides to stimulate the degradation of [C-14]2-oxoglutarate. CsA stimulated the enzymatic activity in the presence of a peptide that mimicked the 557-576 sequence of HIF-1alpha. The enzyme promoted [S-35]vHL binding to glutathione S-transferase (GST)-ODD fusion protein. This association increased in the presence of CsA. CsA effects were not observed when the proline residue corresponding to Pro-564 in the HIF-1a sequence was replaced by a hydroxyproline or an alanine residue. Finally, CsA increased vHL-ODD interaction during hypoxia. We conclude that CsA destabilizes HIF-1alpha by promoting hydroxylation of Pro-564 in the ODD domain. Such a mechanism may prevent bypoxic adaptation during CsA-induced nephrotoxicity and contribute to the adverse effects of this drug.