Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 21, 2026

Microarray-based Identification of Individual HERV Loci Expression: Application to Biomarker Discovery in Prostate Cancer
Published on: November 2, 2013
HIF1A C1772T polymorphism leads to HIF-1α mRNA overexpression in prostate cancer patients
Michael Vainrib1, Maya Golan, Sharon Amir
1Department of Urology, Meir Medical Center; Kfar Saba, Israel.
Abstract:
Hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) gene polymorphisms have been investigated for a possible role in mediating genetic predisposition to cancer. Our previous data show that men homozygous to C1772T polymorphism had 4-fold risk to develop prostate cancer. Therefore, we studied the effects of C1772T polymorphism on HIF-1α expression. HIF-1α mRNA expression levels were significantly higher in peripheral blood leukocytes of prostate cancer patients with the TT genotype compared with the CC genotype. Expression of C1772T HIF-1α in HIF-1α knockout cancer cells showed higher expression levels and stabilization of HIF-1α mRNA compared with the wild-type. Mutated HIF-1α protein half-life was similar to that of the wild-type. Hence, our data provide evidence that C1772T polymorphism causes activation of HIF-1α as a gain-of-function mechanism driven by stabilization of HIF-1α mRNA. These findings may also explain the increased risk of men homozygous to this mutation to develop prostate cancer.
Related Concept Videos
Cancer-Critical Genes I: Proto-oncogenes
When the function of certain critical genes, especially those involved in cell cycle regulation and cell growth signaling cascades, gets disrupted, it upsets the cell cycle progression. Such cells with unchecked cell cycles start proliferating uncontrollably and eventually develop into tumors.
Such genes that act...
Pharmacogenetics of Drug Targets: β₂-Adrenergic Receptors, Apo E, Thymidylate Synthase
The Ras Gene
Ras is a superfamily...
Abnormal Proliferation
Master Transcription Regulators
RNA Splicing
