Regulation of CREB by moderate hypoxia in PC12 cells

The mechanisms by which excitable cells adapt and respond to changes in O2 levels remain largely unknown. We have investigated the effect of hypoxia on the cyclic AMP response element binding protein (CREB) transcription factor. PC12 cells were exposed to moderate levels of hypoxia (5% O2) for various times between 20 min and 6 hr. We found that hypoxia rapidly and persistently induced ser133 phosphorylation of CREB. This effect was more robust than that produced by exposing PC12 cells to either forskolin, KCl, or NGF. This effect was not due to activation of any of the previously known CREB kinases, including PKA, CaMK, PKC, p70s6k, or MAPKAP kinase-2. Thus, hypoxia may induce activation of a novel CREB kinase. To test whether phosphorylation of CREB was associated with an activation of CRE-dependent gene expression, cells were transfected with wild type and mutated regions of the 5'-flanking region of the tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) gene fused to a CAT reporter gene. Mutation of the CRE element in a TH reporter gene reduced, but did not abolish, the effects of hypoxia on TH gene expression. However, hypoxia did not induce transactivation of a GAL4-luciferase reporter by a GAL4-CREB fusion protein. Thus, the mechanism by which hypoxia regulates CREB is distinct, and more complex, than that induced by forskolin, depolarization, or nerve growth factor.