Cited by 175Cancer, Hypoxia, and MetabolismEar and Head TumorsErythropoietin and Anemia Treatment

The VHL tumor suppressor: master regulator of HIF

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Haase, Volker·2009·Current Pharmaceutical Design

Abstract

Hypoxia-Inducible Factors (HIFs) are heterodimeric oxygen-sensitive basic helix-loop-helix transcription factors that play central roles in cellular adaptation to low oxygen environments. The von-Hippel Lindau tumor suppressor (pVHL) is the substrate recognition component of an E3 ubiquitin ligase and functions as a master regulator of HIF activity by targeting the hydroxylated HIF-alpha subunit for ubiquitylation and rapid proteasomal degradation under normoxic conditions. Mutations in pVHL can be found in familial and sporadic hemangioblastomas, clear cell carcinomas of the kidney, pheochromocytomas and inherited forms of erythrocytosis, illustrating the importance of disrupted molecular oxygen sensing in the pathogenesis of these diseases. Tissue-specific gene targeting of pVHL in mice has demonstrated that efficient execution of HIF proteolysis is critically important for normal tissue physiology, and has provided novel insights into the functional consequences of HIF activation on the cellular and tissue level. Here we focus on the contribution of individual HIF transcription factors to the development of VHL phenotypes and discuss how the pVHL/HIF axis could be exploited pharmacologically.

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  • HIFs can be activated independently of hypoxia by oncogene activation or tumor suppressor loss.

    “Independently of hypoxia, HIFs can also become activated through the activation of oncogenes, or loss of tumor suppressor genes.”

    From The HIF Axes in Cancer - Angiogenesis, Metabolism and Immune-Modulation (2025) · cites this paper as [13]

    The “pVHL: MASTER REGULATOR OF HIF” section (page unavailable) says that mutated pVHL or loss of VHL expression increases HIF activity irrespective of oxygen levels. The paper does not establish the other proposed route—oncogene activation causing HIF activation. Its discussion of c-Myc concerns interaction with HIF, not that causal claim. (LLM, conf=0.88)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • RAS, PI-3K, ERK1/2 activation and pVHL loss cause hypoxia-independent HIF activation.

    “Similarly, activation of RAS, PI-3K, or downstream ERK1/2 kinases, common in many cancer types, and loss of pVHL, frequently observed in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), result in hypoxia-independent activation of the HIFs [12–14].”

    From The HIF Axes in Cancer - Angiogenesis, Metabolism and Immune-Modulation (2025) · cites this paper as [13]

    The “pVHL: MASTER REGULATOR OF HIF” section states that loss of VHL expression stabilizes HIF-α and increases HIF activity irrespective of oxygen levels. The passages found do not support the additional claim that activation of RAS, PI-3K, or ERK1/2 causes hypoxia-independent HIF activation. (LLM, conf=0.87)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

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Authors
Haase, V.
Affiliations
Vanderbilt University Medical Center (US)
Corresponding author
Haase, Volker
Venue
Current Pharmaceutical Design
Published
2009-11-01
Volume
15
Issue
33
Pages
3895-3903
ISSN
1381-6128 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2067955850
Cited by
175
References
114
Citations by year
2026: 5 · 2025: 27 · 2024: 19 · 2023: 21 · 2022: 20 · 2021: 18 · 2020: 10 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 9 · 2015: 5 · 2014: 8 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 5
FWCI
1.01
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Current Pharmaceutical Design (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • National Cancer Institute (R01CA100787)
  • National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (R01DK080821, R01DK081646)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cancer Research › Cancer, Hypoxia, and Metabolism
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › Ear and Head Tumors
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Hematology › Erythropoietin and Anemia Treatment
Keywords
von Hippel-Lindau tumor suppressor, hypoxia-inducible factor, ubiquitin ligase, proteasomal degradation, oxygen sensing, hemangioblastoma, clear cell renal cell carcinoma, pheochromocytoma, erythrocytosis, HIF-targeted therapy
MeSH terms
Animals, Humans, Mutation, Phenotype, Drug Delivery Systems, Gene Targeting, Mice, Von Hippel-Lindau Tumor Suppressor Protein, Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit, Ubiquitination

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