title: Mechanism of HIF-1alpha-dependent suppression of hypoxia-induced apoptosis in squamous cell carcinoma cells.
abstract: The transcriptional factor hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) plays an important role in solid tumor cell growth and survival. Overexpression of HIF-1alpha has been demonstrated in many human tumors and predicts a poor response to chemoradiotherapy. We examined the HIF-1alpha-induced survival pathways in human oral squamous cell carcinoma cell (OSCC) lines. The results showed that forced expression of HIF-1alpha suppressed hypoxia-induced apoptosis of OSCC lines by inhibiting cytochrome c release from mitochondria. Overexpression of HIF-1alpha inhibited the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), elevation of intracellular Ca(2+) concentration, reduction of mitochondrial membrane potential, and cytosolic accumulation of cytochrome c, which resulted in the inactivation of caspase-9 and caspase-3. In addition, antiapoptotic Bcl-2 and Bcl-X(L) levels were increased and pro-apoptotic Bax and Bak levels were decreased in the HIF-1alpha-overexpressing OSCC line. Overexpression of HIF-1alpha also increased the levels of phosphorylation of Akt and extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK). These findings indicate that HIF-1alpha prevents apoptotic cell death through two mechanisms, including inhibition of cytochrome c release and activation of Akt and ERK.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Oncology, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Kohasu, Oko-cho, Nankoku-city, Japan.
authors.forename: Eri
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sasabe
authors.forename: Yukihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tatemoto
authors.forename: Dechao
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Tokio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Osaki
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D045304:Cytochromes c / Q000378:metabolism; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D051795:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D015854:Up-Regulation; D050998:bcl-2 Homologous Antagonist-Killer Protein; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D051020:bcl-X Protein
chemical_list: C494772:BAK1 protein, human; C494826:BAX protein, human; C494811:BCL2L1 protein, human; C497442:HIF1A protein, human; D051795:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D014157:Transcription Factors; D050998:bcl-2 Homologous Antagonist-Killer Protein; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D051020:bcl-X Protein; D045304:Cytochromes c; C494918:AKT1 protein, human; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases; D002118:Calcium