title: Direct phosphorylation events involved in HIF-α regulation: the role of GSK-3β.
abstract: Hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs), consisting of α- and β-subunits, are critical regulators of the transcriptional response to hypoxia under both physiological and pathological conditions. To a large extent, the protein stability and the recruitment of coactivators to the C-terminal transactivation domain of the HIF α-subunits determine overall HIF activity. The regulation of HIF α-subunit protein stability and coactivator recruitment is mainly achieved by oxygen-dependent posttranslational hydroxylation of conserved proline and asparagine residues, respectively. Under hypoxia, the hydroxylation events are inhibited and HIF α-subunits stabilize, translocate to the nucleus, dimerize with the β-subunits, and trigger a transcriptional response. However, under normal oxygen conditions, HIF α-subunits can be activated by various growth and coagulation factors, hormones, cytokines, or stress factors implicating the involvement of different kinase pathways in their regulation, thereby making HIF-α-regulating kinases attractive therapeutic targets. From the kinases known to regulate HIF α-subunits, only a few phosphorylate HIF-α directly. Here, we review the direct phosphorylation of HIF-α with an emphasis on the role of glycogen synthase kinase-3β and the consequences for HIF-1α function.
authors: Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine and Biocenter Oulu, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
authors: Daniela
authors: D
authors: Mennerich
authors: Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine and Biocenter Oulu, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
authors: Elitsa Y
authors: EY
authors: Dimova
authors: Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine and Biocenter Oulu, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
authors: Thomas
authors: T
authors: Kietzmann
keywords: GSK-3β; HIF-1; hypoxia; kinase; phosphorylation; tumor suppressor; ubiquitinylation