Identification of the hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha-responsive HGTD-P gene as a mediator in the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway

Hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF-1 alpha) controls the cellular responses to hypoxia, activating transcription of a range of genes involved in adaptive processes such as increasing glycolysis and promoting angiogenesis. However, paradoxically, HIF-1 alpha also participates in hypoxic cell death. Several gene products, such as BNip3, RTP801, and Noxa, were identified as HIF-1 alpha-responsive proapoptotic proteins, but the complicated hypoxic cell death pathways could not be completely explained by the few known genes. Moreover, molecules linking the proapoptotic signals of HIF-1 alpha directly to mitochondrial permeability transition are missing. In this work, we report the identification of an HIF-1 alpha-responsive proapoptotic molecule, HGTD-P. Its expression was directly regulated by HIF-1 alpha through a hypoxia-responsive element on the HGTD-P promoter region. When overexpressed, HGTD-P was localized to mitochondria and facilitated apoptotic cell death via typical mitochondrial apoptotic cascades, including permeability transition, cytochrome c release, and Caspase 9 activation. In the process of permeability transition induction, the death-inducing domain of HGTD-P physically interacted with the voltage-dependent anion channel. In addition, suppression of HGTD-P expression by small interfering RNA or Antisense Oligonucleotides protected against hypoxic cell death. Taken together, our data indicate that HGTD-P is a new HIF-1 alpha-responsive proapoptotic molecule that activates mitochondrial apoptotic cascades.