Abstract
The hypoxic response in humans is mediated by the hypoxia-inducible transcription factor (HIF), for which prolyl hydroxylases (PHDs) act as oxygen-sensing components. The evolutionary origins of the HIF system have been previously unclear. We demonstrate a functional HIF system in the simplest animal, Trichoplax adhaerens: HIF targets in T. adhaerens include glycolytic and metabolic enzymes, suggesting a role for HIF in the adaptation of basal multicellular animals to fluctuating oxygen levels. Characterization of the T. adhaerens PHDs and cross-species complementation assays reveal a conserved oxygen-sensing mechanism. Cross-genomic analyses rationalize the relative importance of HIF system components, and imply that the HIF system is likely to be present in all animals, but is unique to this kingdom.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 63-70 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | EMBO Reports |
| Volume | 12 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Jan 2011 |
Keywords
- Amino Acid Sequence
- Animals
- Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1
- Molecular Sequence Data
- Oxygen
- Phylogeny
- Placozoa
- Procollagen-Proline Dioxygenase
- Transcriptional Activation
- Von Hippel-Lindau Tumor Suppressor Protein