Transcriptional regulation of genes via hypoxia-inducible factor

Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) is the principal transcription factor that regulates adaptive physiologic responses to compromised oxygen tension. von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) tumor-suppressor protein binds and ubiquitylates the catalytic α subunit of HIF in an oxygen-dependent manner for rapid destruction via the 26S proteasome, thereby establishing VHL as a critical negative regulator of HIF. Mutations in VHL cause VHL disease, which is frequently characterized by the overexpression of HIFα and the development of tumors in multiple organ systems, including the central nervous system and the kidney. Here, we describe classical experimental approaches to demonstrate and validate HIF-responsive transcriptional regulation of genes.