An Argonaute 2 switch regulates circulating miR-210 to coordinate hypoxic adaptation across cells

Complex organisms may coordinate molecular responses to hypoxia by specialized avenues of communication across multiple tissues, but these mechanisms are poorly understood. Plasma-based, extracellular microRNAs have been described, yet their regulation and biological functions in hypoxia remain enigmatic. We found a unique pattern of release of the hypoxia-inducible microRNA-210 (miR-210) from hypoxic and reoxygenated cells. This microRNA is also elevated in human plasma in physiologic and pathologic conditions of altered oxygen demand and delivery. Released miR-210 can be delivered to recipient cells, and the suppression of its direct target ISCU and mitochondrial metabolism is primarily evident in hypoxia. To regulate these hypoxia-specific actions, prolyl-hydroxylation of Argonaute 2 acts as a molecular switch that reciprocally modulates miR-210 release and intracellular activity in source cells as well as regulates intracellular activity in recipient cells after miR-210 delivery. Therefore, Argonaute 2-dependent control of released miR-210 represents a unique communication system that integrates the hypoxic response across anatomically distinct cells, preventing unnecessary activity of delivered miR-210 in normoxia while still preparing recipient tissues for incipient hypoxic stress and accelerating adaptation.