Cited by 1,385Cancer, Hypoxia, and MetabolismKruppel-like factors researchErythropoietin and Anemia Treatment

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 46 of the 47 references it cites were found in a registry or an index; none of the 7 sources its claims cite is checked for support yet.

FIH-1: a novel protein that interacts with HIF-1α and VHL to mediate repression of HIF-1 transcriptional activity

Open access

Abstract

Hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) is a master regulator of oxygen homeostasis that controls angiogenesis, erythropoiesis, and glycolysis via transcriptional activation of target genes under hypoxic conditions. O 2 -dependent binding of the von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) tumor suppressor protein targets the HIF-1α subunit for ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation. The activity of the HIF-1α transactivation domains is also O 2 regulated by a previously undefined mechanism. Here, we report the identification of factor inhibiting HIF-1 (FIH-1), a protein that binds to HIF-1α and inhibits its transactivation function. In addition, we demonstrate that FIH-1 binds to VHL and that VHL also functions as a transcriptional corepressor that inhibits HIF-1α transactivation function by recruiting histone deacetylases. Involvement of VHL in association with FIH-1 provides a unifying mechanism for the modulation of HIF-1α protein stabilization and transcriptional activation in response to changes in cellular O 2 concentration.

Overview

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TL;DR

The paper identifies FIH-1, a 349-amino-acid protein that binds HIF-1α and VHL and represses HIF-1 transcriptional activity. It proposes that VHL and FIH-1 act as corepressors by recruiting histone deacetylases, unifying O₂-dependent control of HIF-1α stability and transactivation.

Key findings

  • A yeast two-hybrid screen of 2 × 10⁶ transformants identified FIH-1 from a 2.98-kb human brain cDNA encoding a 349-amino-acid protein; the FIH1 gene maps to chromosome 10q24 and consists of eight exons and seven introns spanning 14 kb.
  • FIH-1 binds HIF-1α residues 531–826, with optimal binding requiring TAD-C; residues 757–826 are sufficient, whereas TAD-N (531–575) and TAD-C alone (786–826) did not bind.
  • FIH-1 inhibits HIF-1α transactivation in 293 and Hep3B reporter assays at 1% O₂; antisense FIH-1 increases reporter expression, and FIH-1 inhibits GalA (HIF-1α 531–826) under both 20% and 1% O₂.
  • FIH-1 binds VHL at a distinct site (VHL residues 1–155 sufficient for FIH-1 binding; 1–213 required for efficient HIF-1α binding), and VHL plus FIH-1 cooperatively repress GalL (HIF-1α 531–575); VHL binds HDAC-1, HDAC-2, and HDAC-3 and recruits HDACs to HIF-1α.

Methods

  • Yeast two-hybrid assay using GAL4 DBD–HIF-1α(576–826) bait and a human brain cDNA prey library; 2 × 10⁶ transformants screened for histidine auxotrophy and α-galactosidase expression.
  • In vitro GST pull-down assays with ³⁵S-labeled HIF-1α, FIH-1, VHL, and HDAC proteins; some GST-HIF-1α fusions were preincubated with reticulocyte lysate to induce proline hydroxylation.
  • Transient transfection of HEK293 and Hep3B cells with p2.1 or pG5ElbLuc reporters and GAL4–HIF-1α fusion constructs, exposed to 20% or 1% O₂; immunoprecipitation and immunoblot assays for protein interactions.

Limitations

  • Stated: coimmunoprecipitation of FIH-1 and HIF-1α was detected in cells overexpressing these proteins, so no conclusion can be drawn as to whether the interaction is regulated by cellular O₂ concentration; VHL expression may have been limiting, and no interaction of VHL with FIH-1 or HIF-1α could be demonstrated under those conditions.
  • Stated: whether O₂-dependent interaction of HIF-1α and VHL is required for recruitment of FIH-1 remains unanswered; an alternative but not mutually exclusive hypothesis is that FIH-1 and VHL recruit distinct HDAC complexes.
  • Evident: many interaction and repression conclusions rely on overexpression and in vitro binding assays; FIH-1’s weaker HDAC binding and the possibilities that it interacts with HDAC-4–7, another corepressor, or possesses intrinsic HDAC activity are speculative and not demonstrated.

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Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1101/gad.924501

Cites

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Claims the paper makes

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Show all 18 claims

  • It may state two separate claims as one. 4
  • Probably not a substantial claim. 3
6 of 6
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    HIF-1 activity is induced by hypoxia in all cell types.

    “Because HIF-1 activity is induced by hypoxia in all cell types, the interaction of HIF-1 with other proteins is likely to play a major role in determining its biological activity.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    HIF-1α contains basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) and PAS domains required for dimerization and DNA binding, a proline/serine/threonine-rich protein stabilization domain (PSTD), two transactivation domains (TAD-N and TAD-C), and an inhibitory domain (ID) that negatively regulates transactivation domain function under nonhypoxic conditions.

    “HIF-1␣ contains basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) and PAS domains that are required for dimerization and DNA binding, a proline/serine/threonine-rich protein stabilization domain (PSTD), two transactivation domains (TAD-N and TAD-C), and an inhibitory domain (ID) that negatively regulates transactivation domain function under nonhypoxic conditions.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Elongins B and C and cullin 2 are required for E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase activity, whereas HDACs repress transactivation.

    “Elongins B and C and cullin 2 are required for E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase activity, whereas HDACs repress transactivation.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    The physical interaction of bait and prey proteins within yeast cells functionally reconstitutes an active GAL4 transcription factor, resulting in expression of genes containing upstream GAL4-binding sites that mediate histidine auxotrophy and α-gal expression.

    “The physical interaction of the bait and prey proteins within yeast cells functionally reconstitutes an active GAL4 transcription factor, resulting in the expression of genes that contain upstream GAL4-binding sites and mediate histidine auxotrophy (his + ) and ␣-gal expression.”
4 of 4

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Metadata

Authors
Mahon, P. C., Hirota, K., & Semenza, G. L.
Affiliations
Johns Hopkins University (US)
Venue
Genes & Development
Published
2001-10-15
Volume
15
Issue
20
Pages
2675-2686
ISSN
  • 0890-9369 (ISSN-L)
  • 1549-5477
OpenAlex
W2089692551
Cited by
1,385
References
47
Citations by year
2026: 23 · 2025: 31 · 2024: 40 · 2023: 52 · 2022: 63 · 2021: 71 · 2020: 58 · 2019: 64 · 2018: 47 · 2017: 50 · 2016: 61 · 2015: 60 · 2014: 54 · 2013: 56 · 2012: 59
Type
posted content
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Genes & Development (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • Uehara Memorial Foundation
  • National Institutes of Health (5r01dk039869-16)
  • National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (R01 DK39869)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cancer Research › Cancer, Hypoxia, and Metabolism
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Kruppel-like factors research
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Hematology › Erythropoietin and Anemia Treatment
Keywords
FIH-1, HIF-1α, VHL, HIF-1, transcriptional repression, histone deacetylase, corepressors, oxygen sensing, protein-protein interaction, ubiquitination, proteasomal degradation, oxygen homeostasis
MeSH terms
Amino Acid Sequence, Animals, Cells, Cultured, DNA-Binding Proteins, Fungal Proteins, Gene Expression Regulation, Glutathione Transferase, Histone Deacetylases, Humans, Mixed Function Oxygenases, Ligases, Luciferases, Molecular Sequence Data, Nuclear Proteins, Oxygen, Protein Conformation, Rabbits, Repressor Proteins, Reticulocytes, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Transcription Factors, Transcription, Genetic, Signal Transduction, Transcriptional Activation, Cell Hypoxia, Polymerase Chain Reaction, Sequence Homology, Amino Acid, DNA Primers, Two-Hybrid System Techniques, Tumor Suppressor Proteins, Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins, Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases, Von Hippel-Lindau Tumor Suppressor Protein, Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit, In Vitro Techniques

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