8 The hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)

Under the condition of low oxygen tension (hypoxia) for cells and tissues it leads to the transcriptional induction of genes that participate in angiogenesis, iron metabolism, glucose metabolism, and cell proliferation/survival. The primary factor mediating this response is the hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF). HIF consists of an oxygen-regulated subunit HIF-1α, HIF-1β, HIF-2α and HIF-3α. The stabil…