title: Hypoxia inducible factor-1 alpha-independent suppression of aryl hydrocarbon receptor-regulated genes by nickel.
abstract: Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR)-dependent enzymes are involved in the biotransformation of harmful xenobiotics into more easily excretable metabolites. Cross-talk between the AhR pathway and the hypoxia inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1alpha) pathway has been demonstrated previously, although the mechanism remains unclear and quite controversial. Because nickel is known to mimic hypoxia, we investigated the effects of short-term nickel exposure on AhR-dependent gene expression. Gene-chip analysis identified several AhR-dependent genes that are suppressed by exposure to nickel. Using Northern blots, we then confirmed that nickel can down-regulate both the basal and benzo[a]pyrene-inducible expression of AhR-dependent genes in mouse and human cell lines. Using a HIF-1alpha knockout cell line and 3-[2-[4-(bis-(4-fluorophenyl) methylene]-1-piperidinyl)ethyl]-2,3-dihydro-2-thioxo-4(1H)quinazolinone (R59949), which blocks HIF-1alpha protein accumulation, we show HIF-1alpha-independent suppression of AhR-dependent genes by nickel. Desferrioxamine and hypoxia were also able to suppress the basal and inducible expression levels of AhR-regulated genes. Finally, dimethyloxalylglycine, an inhibitor of Fe(II)- and 2-oxoglutarate-dependent dioxygenases also inhibited AhR-dependent expression in a HIF-1alpha-independent manner. Our data suggest that an Fe(II)-, oxoglutarate-, and oxygen-dependent enzyme may directly or indirectly be involved in the regulation of AhR-dependent transcriptional activity by nickel and other hypoxia-mimicking agents.
authors.affiliation: Nelson Institute of Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, NewYork, USA. davidson@env.med.nyu.edu
authors.forename: Todd
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Davidson
authors.forename: Konstantin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Salnikow
authors.forename: Max
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Costa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000378:metabolism*; D051795:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009532:Nickel / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018336:Receptors, Aryl Hydrocarbon / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D051795:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit; D018336:Receptors, Aryl Hydrocarbon; D014157:Transcription Factors; D009532:Nickel