title: Hypoxia induces c-fos transcription via a mitogen-activated protein kinase-dependent pathway.
abstract: Hypoxia is a pathophysiological condition that occurs during injury, ischemia, and stroke. It is characterized by a decrease of reactive oxygen intermediates and a change of the intracellular redox level. In tumors hypoxia is regarded as a trigger for enhanced growth and metastasis. Here we report that in HeLa cells, hypoxic conditions induce the transcriptional activation of c-fos transcription via the serum response element. Mutations in the binding site for the ternary complex factor Elk-1 and the serum response factor abolished this induction, indicating that a ternary complex at the serum response element is necessary for the induction of the c-fos gene under hypoxia. The transcription factor Elk-1 was covalently modified by phosphorylation in response to hypoxia. Furthermore this hyperphosphorylation of Elk-1, the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and the induction of c-fos transcripts were blocked by PD98059, a specific inhibitor of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase/extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase kinase 1. An in vitro kinase assay with Elk-1 as substrate showed that MAPK is activated under hypoxia. The activation of MAPK corresponds temporally with the phosphorylation and activation of Elk-1. Thus, a decrease of the intracellular reactive oxygen intermediate level by hypoxia induces c-fos via the MAPK pathway. These results suggest that the intracellular redox levels may be directly coupled to tumor growth, invasion, and metastasis via Elk-1-dependent induction of c-Fos controlled genes.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Hermann-Herder-Strasse 7, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Krauss
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kaltschmidt
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Baeuerle
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Rupec
mesh_terms: D000693:Anaerobiosis; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010100:Oxygen / Q000494:pharmacology; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011485:Protein Binding; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects; D050807:ets-Domain Protein Elk-1
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C494112:ELK1 protein, human; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D014157:Transcription Factors; D050807:ets-Domain Protein Elk-1; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1; D010100:Oxygen