Weidemann A, Johnson R S
Division of Biological Sciences, Molecular Biology Section, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
Cell Death Differ. 2008 Apr;15(4):621-7. doi: 10.1038/cdd.2008.12. Epub 2008 Feb 15.
The increase in body size of humans and other vertebrates requires a physiological infrastructure to provide adequate delivery of oxygen to tissues and cells to maintain oxygen homeostasis. The heart, lungs and the vasculature are all part of a highly regulated system that ensures the distribution of the precise amount of oxygen needed throughout the mammalian organism. Given its fundamental impact on physiology and pathology, it is no surprise that the response of cells to a lack of oxygen, termed hypoxia, has been the focus of many research groups worldwide for many decades now. The transcriptional complex hypoxia-inducible factor has emerged as a key regulator of the molecular hypoxic response, mediating a wide range of physiological and cellular mechanisms necessary to adapt to reduced oxygen.
人类和其他脊椎动物体型的增大需要一种生理基础设施，以确保向组织和细胞充分输送氧气，从而维持氧稳态。心脏、肺和脉管系统都是一个高度调节系统的组成部分，该系统可确保在整个哺乳动物体内精确分配所需的氧气量。鉴于其对生理学和病理学的根本影响，细胞对缺氧（即低氧）的反应几十年来一直是全球众多研究团队的关注焦点，这也就不足为奇了。转录复合体缺氧诱导因子已成为分子低氧反应的关键调节因子，介导了适应低氧环境所需的多种生理和细胞机制。
