HIF-2 alpha/EPAS1: Proteins and Enzymes

The hypoxia-inducible transcription factor 2 alpha is stabilized in hypoxic tissue and, similarly to HIF-1 alpha, complexes with aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator (ARNT). Both the HIF-1 and HIF-2 complexes bind hypoxia-response elements (HREs) in the promoters of many genes involved in adapting to an environment of insufficient oxygen or hypoxia. HIF-1 and HIF-2 do not appear to be completely redundant, although specific functions are only beginning to be elucidated. Hypoxic tissue environments occur in vascular and pulmonary diseases as well as cancer, indicating the potentially broad impact of gene regulation by both HIF-1 alpha and HIF-2 alpha.