1. To Breathe or Not To Breathe
The Effects of the Hypoxia Inducible Factor-1 on Cell Proliferation
of the Spinal Cord
Elizabeth Feldman
Pine Crest School
2. Background
• Hypoxia: Lack of oxygen delivery
to tissues with the body
• Chelonia mydas (Green Sea Turtle)
• Born 1 meter beneath the sand;
a hypoxic condition
• Live a life of diving
• In and out of water, therefore
constantly affected by changes in
oxygen levels
• Model Organism to study the
effects of Hypoxia
• Hypoxia Inducible Factor-1
• Present in all vertebrates
• Active in Chelonia mydas
• Not Active in Homo sapiens
3. Cellular Respiration
• Glycolysis does not
require oxygen
• Citric Acid Cycle
does require oxygen
• Oxidative
Affected by
Phosphorylation
Hypoxia
does require oxygen
No Oxygen
Decrease in ATP
production
7. The Sea Turtles
• 2 Mechanism of survival from
hypoxic conditions
• Lower heart rate Perseveres the
amount of oxygen
• Proliferate cells Replaces the
damaged cells
• Cells proliferate specifically
along the spinal cord
• Chelonia mydas have the HIF-1
transcription factor
• HIF-1α units promote
proliferation
9. If HIF-1 can be activated in mammals, then
there is a possibility to begin the effect of
cell proliferation and the recovery process
from spinal cord injuries.
10. Future Research
• How can a hypoxia tolerant neuron reduce the requirements for ATP for cell
survival?
• What mechanism prevents pVHL from binding to HIF-1 in absence of
Oxygen?
• What therapies can arise from the knowledge known about cell
proliferation on the spinal cord resulting from hypoxia?
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422-428. Print.
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"Repair of spinal cord injury by hypoxia-inducible factor-1a-expressing neural stem cells ." Journal of
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