The N-Terminal Transactivation Domain Confers Target Gene Specificity of Hypoxia-inducible Factors HIF-1α and HIF-2α

Abstract

The basic helix-loop-helix-Per-ARNT-Sim–proteins hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α and HIF-2α are the principal regulators of the hypoxic transcriptional response. Although highly related, they can activate distinct target genes. In this study, the protein domain and molecular mechanism important for HIF target gene specificity are determined. We demonstrate that although HIF-2α is unable to activate multiple endogenous HIF-1α–specific target genes (e.g., glycolytic enzymes), HIF-2α still binds to their promoters in vivo and activates reporter genes derived from such targets. In addition, comparative analysis of the N-terminal DNA binding and dimerization domains of HIF-1α and HIF-2α does not reveal any significant differences between the two proteins. Importantly, replacement of the N-terminal transactivation domain (N-TAD) (but not the DNA binding domain, dimerization domain, or C-terminal transactivation domain [C-TAD]) of HIF-2α with the analogous region of HIF-1α is sufficient to convert HIF-2α into a protein with HIF-1α functional specificity. Nevertheless, both the N-TAD and C-TAD are important for optimal HIF transcriptional activity. Additional experiments indicate that the ETS transcription factor ELK is required for HIF-2α to activate specific target genes such as Cited-2, EPO, and PAI-1. These results demonstrate that the HIF-α TADs, particularly the N-TADs, confer HIF target gene specificity, by interacting with additional transcriptional cofactors.