Drosophila melanogaster SL2 cells contain a hypoxically inducible DNA binding complex which recognises mammalian HIF-binding sites.

Nuclear extracts from Drosophila SL2 cells were found to contain a hypoxically inducible complex capable of binding to hypoxia response elements from mammalian genes. This complex (HIF-D) resembled mammalian hypoxia inducible factor (HIF-1) in DNA sequence specificity, abrogation of induction by cycloheximide, induction by desferrioxamine and redox sensitivity of DNA binding. However, HIF-D was not induced by cobalt and was less sensitive to phosphatase than HIF-1. Endogenous phosphoglycerate kinase mRNA in SL2 cells showed similar inducible characteristics to HIF-D. These findings are evidence that the mammalian HIF-1 dependent system of oxygen regulated gene expression has a functional homologue in Drosophila.