Interaction between AhR and HIF-1 signaling pathways mediated by ARNT/HIF-1β

BMC Pharmacol Toxicol. 2022 Apr 26;23(1):26. doi: 10.1186/s40360-022-00564-8.

Abstract

Background: The main causes of lung cancer are smoking, environmental pollution and genetic susceptibility. It is an indisputable fact that PAHs are related to lung cancer, and benzo(a) pyrene is a representative of PAHs. The purpose of the current investigation was to investigate the interaction between AhR and HIF-1 signaling pathways in A549 cells, which provide some experimental basis for scientists to find drugs that block AhR and HIF-1 signaling pathway to prevent and treat cancer.

Methods: This project adopts the CYP1A1 signaling pathways and the expression of CYP1B1 is expressed as a measure of AhR strength index. The expression of VEGF and CAIX volume as a measure of the strength of the signal path HIF-1 indicators. Through the construction of plasmid vector, fluorescence resonance energy transfer, real-time quantitative PCR, western blotting and immunoprecipitation, the interaction between AhR signaling pathway and HIF-1 signaling pathway was observed.

Results: BaP can enhance the binding ability of HIF-1α protein to HIF-1β/ARNT in a dose-dependent manner without CoCl2. However, the binding ability of AhR protein to HIF-1β/ARNT is inhibited by HIF-1α signaling pathway in a dose-dependent manner with CoCl2.

Conclusion: It is shown that activation of the AhR signaling pathway does not inhibit the HIF-1α signaling pathway, but activation of the HIF-1α signaling pathway inhibits the AhR signaling pathway.

Keywords: Aryl hydrocarbon receptor; Aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator; Benzopyrene; CoCl2; Hypoxia-inducible factor-1α.

MeSH terms

  • A549 Cells
  • Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Nuclear Translocator* / genetics
  • Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Nuclear Translocator* / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Lung Neoplasms* / metabolism
  • Receptors, Aryl Hydrocarbon* / genetics
  • Receptors, Aryl Hydrocarbon* / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction

Substances

  • ARNT protein, human
  • Receptors, Aryl Hydrocarbon
  • Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Nuclear Translocator