The cellular response to hypoxia: tuning the system with microRNAs

Adaptation to hypoxia is an essential cellular response controlled by the oxygen-sensitive master transcription factor hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1). HIF-1 expression is also controlled by specific microRNAs and, in turn, controls the expression of other microRNAs, which fine-tune adaptation to low oxygen tension. In this issue of the JCI, Ghosh and colleagues identify a unique microRNA in hypoxic endothelial cells, miR424, that promotes HIF-1 stabilization and angiogenesis. The actions of this microRNA are considered in the context of the complex interactions that act to ensure optimal endothelial adaptation to this critical environmental condition.