title: SWI/SNF regulates the cellular response to hypoxia.
abstract: Hypoxia induces a variety of cellular responses such as cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, and autophagy. Most of these responses are mediated by the hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha. To induce target genes, hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha requires a chromatin environment conducive to allow binding to specific sequences. Here, we have studied the role of the chromatin-remodeling complex SWI/SNF in the cellular response to hypoxia. We find that SWI/SNF is required for several of the cellular responses induced by hypoxia. Surprisingly, hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha is a direct target of the SWI/SNF chromatin-remodeling complex. SWI/SNF components are found associated with the hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha promoter and modulation of SWI/SNF levels results in pronounced changes in hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha expression and its ability to transactivate target genes. Furthermore, impairment of SWI/SNF function renders cells resistant to hypoxia-induced cell cycle arrest. These results reveal a previously uncharacterized dependence of hypoxia signaling on the SWI/SNF complex and demonstrate a new level of control over the hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha system.
authors.affiliation: College of Life Sciences, Wellcome Trust Centre for Gene Regulation and Expression, MSI/WTB/JBC Complex, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, Scotland, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Niall S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Kenneth
authors.forename: Sharon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mudie
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: van Uden
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rocha
mesh_terms: D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000502:physiology; D015687:Cell Hypoxia / Q000502:physiology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002843:Chromatin / Q000378:metabolism*; D042002:Chromatin Assembly and Disassembly / Q000502:physiology*; D002868:Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D051795:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D015533:Transcriptional Activation / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D002843:Chromatin; D002868:Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone; C497442:HIF1A protein, human; D051795:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit; C445179:SWI-SNF-B chromatin-remodeling complex; D014157:Transcription Factors