title: The molecular basis of O2-sensing and hypoxia tolerance in pheochromocytoma cells.
abstract: Hypoxia is a common environmental stimulus. However, very little is known about the mechanisms by which cells sense and respond to changes in oxygen. Our laboratory has utilized the PC12 cell line in order to study the biophysical and molecular response to hypoxia. The current review summarizes our results. We demonstrate that the O2-sensitive K(+) channel, Kv1.2, is present in PC12 cells and plays a critical role in the hypoxia-induced depolarization of PC12 cells. Previous studies have shown that PC12 cells secrete a variety of autocrine/paracrine factors, including dopamine, norepinephrine, and adenosine during hypoxia. We investigated the mechanisms by which adenosine modulates cell function and the effect of chronic hypoxia on this modulation. Finally, we present results identifying the mitogen- and stress-activated protein kinases (MAPKs and SAPKs) as hypoxia-regulated protein kinases. Specifically, we show that p38 and an isoform, p38gamma, are activated by hypoxia. In addition, our results demonstrate that the p42/p44 MAPK protein kinases are activated by hypoxia. We further show that p42/p44 MAPK is critical for the hypoxia-induced transactivation of endothelial PAS-domain protein 1 (EPAS1), a hypoxia-inducible transcription factor. Together, these results provide greater insight into the mechanisms by which cells sense and adapt to hypoxia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine, P.O. Box 67-0576, Cincinnati, OH 45267-0576, USA.
authors.forename: P W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Conrad
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Conforti
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Beitner-Johnson
authors.forename: R T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Rust
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: H W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Seta
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Millhorn
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D004594:Electrophysiology; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D000860:Hypoxia; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism*; D016716:PC12 Cells; D010673:Pheochromocytoma / Q000378:metabolism*; D015221:Potassium Channels / Q000378:metabolism; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D051381:Rats; D013997:Time Factors; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000378:metabolism; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D000099162:Endothelial PAS Domain-Containing Protein 1
chemical_list: D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D010100:Oxygen; D015221:Potassium Channels; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D015534:Trans-Activators; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D000099162:Endothelial PAS Domain-Containing Protein 1