Oxygen sensing by protozoans: how they catch their breath
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Updated: Apr 12, 2026

Measurement of Oxygen Consumption Rates in Intact Caenorhabditis elegans
Published on: February 23, 2019
Christopher M West1, Ira J Blader2
1Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Oklahoma Center for Medical Glycobiology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 975 NE 10th St., BRC 417, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA.
Abstract:
Cells must know the local levels of available oxygen and either adapt accordingly or relocate to more favorable environments. Prolyl 4-hydroxylases (P4Hs) are emerging as universal cellular oxygen sensors. In animals, these oxygen sensors respond to decreased oxygen availability by up-regulating hypoxia-inducible transcription factors. In protozoa, the P4Hs appear to activate E3-SCF ubiquitin ligase complexes via a glycosylation-dependent mechanism, potentially to turn over their proteomes. Intracellular parasites are impacted by both types of oxygen-sensing pathways. Since parasites are exposed to diverse oxygen tensions during their life cycles, this review identifies emerging oxygen-sensing mechanisms and discusses how these mechanisms probably contribute to the regulation of unicellular eukaryotes.
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