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Adapting to Hypoxia: Lessons from Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor

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Anoxia

Part of the book series: Cellular Origin, Life in Extreme Habitats and Astrobiology ((COLE,volume 21))

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Abstract

Most life forms on the Earth depend on oxygen for continued existence. However, periods of low oxygen (hypoxia) can be tolerated and are even inherent in normal development and function such as during embryogenesis and strenuous exercise. The process of adapting to prolonged hypoxia involves activation of a new genetic program which, if not precisely orchestrated, can result in cell death. It is perhaps not surprising that multiple pathways have evolved for ensuring the up-regulation of essential genes necessary for hypoxic adaptation. This review will describe mechanisms of cellular adaptation to hypoxia with special emphasis on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), one of the most ubiquitous and extensively studied hypoxia-inducible genes. VEGF is known to be up-regulated at the level of transcription and mRNA stabilization due to the action of multiple factors which can act independently or in concert. A number of mechanisms for targeting specific genes for increased mRNA translation during hypoxia have been elucidated and will be discussed with respect to VEGF.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Rappaport Institute, Technion Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel

    Nina S. Levy

  2. Department of Anatomy, Technion School of Medicine, Technion Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel

    Andrew P. Levy

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  1. Nina S. Levy
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  2. Andrew P. Levy
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Correspondence to Nina S. Levy .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Dept. for Earth and Environmental Resear, Ludwig-maximilians-University, Richard-Wagner-Str. 10, Munich, 80333, Germany

    Alexander V. Altenbach

  2. , Geology & Geophysics Department, Wood Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole Road 266, Woods Hole, 02543, Massachusetts, USA

    Joan M. Bernhard

  3. Jerusalem, The Hebrew University Of, P.O.Box 1132, Efrat, 90435, Israel

    Joseph Seckbach

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© 2012 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

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Levy, N.S., Levy, A.P. (2012). Adapting to Hypoxia: Lessons from Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor. In: Altenbach, A., Bernhard, J., Seckbach, J. (eds) Anoxia. Cellular Origin, Life in Extreme Habitats and Astrobiology, vol 21. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-1896-8_6

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