HIF-1 alpha Rabbit Monoclonal (Hypoxia Inducible Factor-1) Description
HIF-1 alpha has been shown to upregulate several genes to promote survival in hypoxic environments. Some of the important genes that are upregulated are erythropoietin, nitric oxide synthase (NOS), heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1), glucose transporters and vascular growth factors necessary for the maintenance of homeostasis in low oxygen conditions. Oxygen-breathing species express this highly-conserved transcriptional complex. The HIF-1 alpha expression also plays a role in cancer. There is evidence that tumor hypoxia promotes metastasis through the induction of MET overexpression by HIF-1 alpha. The mechanism of tumor hypoxia promoting metastasis remains uncertain. HIF-1 alpha is a key mediator of the cellular response to hypoxia and binds the MET promoter, resulting in increased expression of MET. In breast cancer, MET overexpression is associated with metastatic disease and poor prognosis.