Regulation of gene expression by hypoxia: a molecular approach

Oxygen is a strict requirement for cell function. The cellular mechanisms by which organisms detect and respond to changes in oxygen tension remain a major unanswered question in pulmonary physiology. Part of the difficulty in addressing this question is due to the limited scope of experiments that can be performed in vivo. In the past few years, several laboratories have begun to make progress in this area, using a variety of cell culture model systems and sophisticated genetic manipulations. Here, we review the current state of knowledge of regulation of gene expression by hypoxia, and describe novel experimental approaches that promise to broaden our understanding of how cells and whole organisms respond to alterations in O2 tension.