title: Oxygen-dependent ubiquitination and degradation of hypoxia-inducible factor requires nuclear-cytoplasmic trafficking of the von Hippel-Lindau tumor suppressor protein.
abstract: It is becoming increasingly evident that the degradation of nuclear proteins requires nuclear-cytoplasmic trafficking of both the substrate proteins, as well as the E3 ubiquitin-ligases. Here, we show that nuclear-cytoplasmic trafficking of the von Hippel-Lindau tumor suppressor protein (VHL) is required for oxygen-dependent ubiquitination and degradation of the alpha subunits of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF-alpha). VHL engages in a constitutive transcription-sensitive nuclear-cytoplasmic shuttle unaffected by oxygen tension or levels of nuclear substrate HIF-alpha. Ubiquitinated forms of HIF-alpha, as well as VHL/ubiquitinated HIF-alpha complexes, are found solely in the nuclear compartment of normoxic or reoxygenated VHL-competent cells. HIF-alpha localizes exclusively in the nucleus of hypoxic cells but is exported to the cytoplasm upon reoxygenation. Oxygen-dependent nuclear ubiquitination and nuclear export of HIF-alpha can be prevented by treatment with an HIF-specific prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor. Treatment with inhibitors of RNA polymerase II activity, which interfere with the ability of VHL to engage in nuclear export, also prevents cytoplasmic accumulation of HIF-alpha in reoxygenated cells. This caused a marked increase in the HIF-alpha half-life without affecting its nuclear ubiquitination. We present a model by which VHL-mediated ubiquitination of HIF-alpha and its subsequent degradation are dependent upon dynamic nuclear-cytoplasmic trafficking of both the E3 ubiquitin-ligase and the nuclear substrate protein.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, 451 Smyth Road, Ottawa, K1H 8M5 Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Groulx
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D021581:Active Transport, Cell Nucleus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002451:Cell Compartmentation / Q000502:physiology; D015687:Cell Hypoxia / Q000502:physiology; D002460:Cell Line; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism*; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000378:metabolism; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000494:pharmacology; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D051795:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit; D008025:Ligases / Q000378:metabolism*; D008164:Luminescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism*; D011393:Procollagen-Proline Dioxygenase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D012319:RNA Polymerase II / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins; D025801:Ubiquitin / Q000378:metabolism*; D044767:Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases; D051794:Von Hippel-Lindau Tumor Suppressor Protein
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; C497442:HIF1A protein, human; D051795:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit; D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins; D025801:Ubiquitin; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D011393:Procollagen-Proline Dioxygenase; D044767:Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases; D051794:Von Hippel-Lindau Tumor Suppressor Protein; D012319:RNA Polymerase II; D008025:Ligases; C497446:VHL protein, human; D010100:Oxygen; C038753:leptomycin B