HIF-2α deletion promotes Kras-driven lung tumor development

Abstract

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. The oxygen-sensitive hypoxia inducible factor (HIF) transcriptional regulators HIF-1α and HIF-2α are overexpressed in many human NSCLCs, and constitutive HIF-2α activity can promote murine lung tumor progression, suggesting that HIF proteins may be effective NSCLC therapeutic targets. To investigate the consequences of inhibiting HIF activity in lung cancers, we deleted Hif-1α or Hif-2α in an established Kras[superscript G12D]-driven murine NSCLC model. Deletion of Hif-1α had no obvious effect on tumor growth, whereas Hif-2α deletion resulted in an unexpected increase in tumor burden that correlated with reduced expression of the candidate tumor suppressor gene Scgb3a1 (HIN-1). Here, we identify Scgb3a1 as a direct HIF-2α target gene and demonstrate that HIF-2α regulates Scgb3a1 expression and tumor formation in human Kras[superscript G12D]-driven NSCLC cells. AKT pathway activity, reported to be repressed by Scgb3a1, was enhanced in HIF-2α-deficient human NSCLC cells and xenografts. Finally, a direct correlation between HIF-2α and SCGB3a1 expression was observed in approximately 70% of human NSCLC samples analyzed. These data suggest that, whereas HIF-2α overexpression can contribute to NSCLC progression, therapeutic inhibition of HIF-2α below a critical threshold may paradoxically promote tumor growth by reducing expression of tumor suppressor genes, including Scgb3a1.