Regulation of ATP synthase subunit e gene expression by hypoxia: cell differentiation stage-specific control

Using the technique of differential display, we identified genes that are expressed differentially under normoxic and hypoxic conditions. One regulated gene encoded subunit e of mitochondrial F1F0-ATP synthase (subunit e). The hypoxia-mediated regulation of subunit e expression in C2C12 cells was influenced by the stage of cellular differentiation. Under normoxic conditions, subunit e expression was markedly upregulated during the transition from myoblast to myotube. After exposure to hypoxia for 24 h, subunit e mRNA expression markedly decreased (>70%) in C2C12 myotubes. In contrast, subunit e mRNA levels increased slightly in response to hypoxia in C2C12 myoblasts. Studies performed with primary rat cardiocytes demonstrated that expression of subunit e mRNA and a cardiac-enriched related transcript was downregulated after a hypoxic exposure. We conclude that expression of subunit e is regulated, at the pretranslational level, by oxygen availability via cell differentiation stage-specific mechanisms consistent with the proposed regulatory role of this protein in cellular ATP production.