Disease relevance of vhl-1

• To understand and describe more fully the molecular basis for hypoxia response in this important genetic model system, we compared hypoxia-induced changes in mRNA expression in wild-type, hif-1-deficient, and vhl-1-deficient C. elegans using whole genome microarrays [1].

High impact information on vhl-1

• Mutation of vhl-1 abrogates most hif-1-dependent changes in mRNA expression [1].
• We show that HIF-1 protein levels are similar in animals carrying strong loss-of-function mutations in either egl-9 or vhl-1 [2].
• Animals lacking both vhl-1 and rhy-1 function have a more severe phenotype than either single mutant [2].
• The Caenorhabditis elegans rhy-1 Gene Inhibits HIF-1 Hypoxia-Inducible Factor Activity in a Negative Feedback Loop That Does Not Include vhl-1 [2].

Biological context of vhl-1

• However, persisting differential gene expression in hif-1 versus hif-1; vhl-1 double mutant worms clearly distinguished HIF-1-independent effects of VHL-1 inactivation [3].

References