Activating transcription factor 2 increases transactivation and protein stability of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α in hepatocytes

HIF-1 (hypoxia inducible factor 1) performs a crucial role in mediating the response to hypoxia. However, other transcription factors are also capable of regulating hypoxia-induced target-gene transcription. In a previous report, we demonstrated that the transcription factor ATF-2 (activating transcription factor 2) regulates hypoxia-induced gene transcription, along with HIF-1α. In the present study, we show that the protein stability of ATF-2 is induced by hypoxia and the hypoxia-mimic CoCl₂ (cobalt chloride), and that ATF-2 induction enhances HIF-1α protein stability via direct protein interaction. The knockdown of ATF-2 using small interfering RNA and translation-inhibition experiments demonstrated that ATF-2 plays a key role in the maintenance of the expression level and transcriptional activity of HIF-1α. Furthermore, we determined that ATF-2 interacts directly with HIF-1α both in vivo and in vitro and competes with the tumour suppressor protein p53 for HIF-1α binding. Collectively, these results show that protein stabilization of ATF-2 under hypoxic conditions is required for the induction of the protein stability and transactivation activity of HIF-1α for efficient hypoxia-associated gene expression.