Hypoxia-Inducible Factors and the Response to Hypoxic Stress

Oxygen (O-2) is an essential nutrient that serves as a key substrate in cellular metabolism and bioenergetics. In a variety of physiological and pathological states, organisms encounter insufficient O-2 availability, or hypoxia. In order to cope with this stress, evolutionarily conserved responses are engaged. In mammals, the primary transcriptional response to hypoxic stress is mediated by the hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs). While canonically regulated by prolyl hydroxylase domain-containing enzymes (PHDs), the HIF alpha subunits are intricately responsive to numerous other factors, including factor-inhibiting HIF1 alpha (FIH1), sirtuins, and metabolites. These transcription factors function in normal tissue homeostasis and impinge on critical aspects of disease progression and recovery. Insights from basic HIF biology are being translated into pharmaceuticals targeting the HIF pathway.