title: Molecular characterization and chromosomal localization of a third alpha-class hypoxia inducible factor subunit, HIF3alpha.
abstract: Hypoxia inducible factors (HIFs) are heterodimeric transcription factors that regulate a number of adaptive responses to low oxygen tension. They are composed of alpha- and beta-subunits that belong to the basic helix-loop-helix-PAS (bHLH-PAS) superfamily. In our efforts to identify new bHLH-PAS proteins, we cloned a cDNA encoding a novel alpha-class hypoxia inducible factor, HIF3alpha. The HIF3alpha open reading frame encodes a 662-amino acid protein with a predicted molecular weight of 73 kDa and is expressed in adult thymus, lung, brain, heart, and kidney. The N-terminal bHLH-PAS domain of this protein shares amino acid sequence identity with that of HIF1alpha and HIF2alpha (57% and 53% identity, respectively). The C-terminus of HIF3alpha contains a 36-amino acid sequence that shares 61% identity with the hypoxia responsive domain-1 (HRD1) of HIF1alpha. In transient transfections, this domain confers hypoxia responsiveness when linked to a heterologous transactivation domain. In vitro studies reveal that HIF3alpha dimerizes with a prototype beta-class subunit, ARNT, and that the resultant heterodimer recognizes the hypoxia responsive element (HRE) core sequence, TACGTG. Transient transfection experiments demonstrate that the HIF3alpha-ARNT interaction can occur in vivo, and that the activity of HIF3alpha is upregulated in response to cobalt chloride or low oxygen tension.
authors.affiliation: McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research, University of Wisconsin Medical School, Madison 53706, USA.
authors.forename: Y Z
authors.initials: YZ
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Moran
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Hogenesch
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wartman
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Bradfield
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; D002899:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 9; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D016208:Databases, Factual; D004742:Enhancer Elements, Genetic; D018257:Helix-Loop-Helix Motifs; D006801:Humans; D051793:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1; D051795:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics*; D014162:Transfection; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D051793:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1; D051795:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C497442:HIF1A protein, human; C116973:HIF3A protein, human