HIF-1

Abstract
A fundamental challenge underlying much of the physiology and anatomy of higher organisms is avoiding local oxygen starvation. The efficiency with which we meet this challenge means that it easy to take it for granted. Adding to the precision that is required, excess oxygen is potentially dangerous, with the ability to generate reactive species that may damage proteins and nucleic acid. Hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) is a transcription complex that was isolated as a factor controlling EPO gene expression (1) and is now recognized to be centrally involved in many aspects of meeting these challenges.