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Title: Hypoxia-induced expression of RTEF-1 (related transcriptional enhancer factor-1) in endothelial cells is independent of HIF-1 (hypoxia-inducible factor-1)

Journal Article · · Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications
 [1];  [2];  [2];  [1]
  1. Department of Pathophysiology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081 (China)
  2. Division of Cardiology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02215 (United States)

Related transcriptional enhancer factor-1 (RTEF-1) plays an important role in transcriptional regulation of angiogenic genes in hypoxic endothelial cells. The mechanisms involved in the induction of RTEF-1 expression in hypoxia are poorly understood. In bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAEC) subjected to hypoxia, Western blot and quantitative PCR analysis revealed that RTEF-1 protein and mRNA levels were significantly increased by hypoxia. To address the potential role of the hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) in RTEF-1 induction, a hepatoma cell line deficient in HIF-1 (c4) and a control HIF-1 positive cell line (vT{l_brace}2{r_brace}) were exposed to hypoxia. We report that RTEF-1 protein expression assessed by either Western blotting or immunofluorescence was increased in both cell lines. This demonstrates that HIF-1 is not required for RTEF-1 upregulation by hypoxia. Conversely, RTEF-1 appeared to regulate the expression of HIF-1: HIF-1{alpha} promoter activity was increased (3.6-fold) by RTEF-1 overexpression in BAEC. Furthermore, RTEF-1 enhanced BAEC proliferation and tubule formation; these were inhibited by RTEF-1 knockdown with siRNA. We propose that RTEF-1, acting via HIF-1, is a key regulator of angiogenesis in response to hypoxia.

OSTI ID:
22199643
Journal Information:
Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, Vol. 381, Issue 3; Other Information: Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved.; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0006-291X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English