Hypoxia

Hypoxia contributes significantly to the pathophysiology of major categories of human disease, including myocardial and cerebral ischemia, cancer, pulmonary hypertension, congenital heart disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) is a nuclear protein involved in mammalian oxygen homeostasis.

HIF-2 alpha is one subunit within the HIF-2 nuclear protein that regulates cellular responses to hypoxia (low oxygen tension conditions). Hydroxylation post-translational modifications on particular HIF residues target them for degradation. Luo, et al.

Carbonic anhydrase IX (CAIX) is a member of the carbonic anhydrase family - enzymes that enable the rapid conversion of carbon dioxide and water into carbonic acid, protons, and bicarbonate ions. Carbonic anhydrases have a widespread role in regulating pH in normal tissues and are abundantly found in all mammalian tissues. CAIX itself is one of the most hypoxically-inducible genes due to its stability and membrane location.

Hypoxia inducible factors (HIFs) are transcription factors that regulate the cellular response to decreases in oxygen levels. Under conditions of hypoxia HIFs activate the transcription of a diverse range of genes, resulting in increased oxygen delivery to the cell or metabolic adaptation.

Encoded by the HIF1A gene, HIF-1 alpha has a critical role in cellular response to hypoxia. In hypoxic conditions, HIF-1 alpha activates the transcription of several genes to facilitate metabolic reaction for lack of oxygen. In normoxic conditions, HIF-1 alpha is degraded by the proteasome system.

Learn more about HIF-1 Alpha in our infographic below.

Prolyl-hydroxylase Domain Containing Protein 2 (PHD2) is one of four hydroxylase enzymes that function as oxygen sensors. They are responsible for the post-translational modification of hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF-1 alpha), a component of the transcriptional complex involved in oxygen homeostasis.

Methionine Adenosyltransferase II alpha, also known as MAT2a, is a catalytic subunit of methionine adenosyltransferase (MAT) and essential enzyme for the catalysis of the principle biological methyl donor, S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) from methionine and ATP. MAT2a's heterotetramer structure is composed of 2 catalytic alpha subunits (alpha and alpha’)¹. During development in the adult human liver, MAT2a and its gene products are progressively replaced by MAT1a during fetal liver development².

Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-1 (HIF-1) is a highly conserved heterodimeric transcription factor. Novus' antibody catalogue contains an extensive range of both HIF-1 alpha and HIF-1 beta, useful for hypoxia, angiogenesis, cancer and many other areas of research.