Mitochondrial Ferritin is a HIF1α-Inducible Gene that Protects from Hypoxia-Induced Cell Death in Brain

Mitochondrial Ferritin (FtMt) is preferentially expressed in cell types of high metabolic activity and oxygen consumption, which is consistent with its role of sequestering iron and preventing oxygen-derived redox damage. As of yet, the mechanisms of FtMt regulation and the protection FtMt affords remain largely unknown. Here, we report that hypoxia-inducible-factor 1α (HIF-1α) can upregulate FtMt expression. We verify one functional hypoxia response element (HRE) in the positive regulatory region and two HREs possessing HIF-1α binding activity in the minimal promoter region of the human FTMT gene. We also demonstrate that FtMt can alleviate hypoxia-induced brain cell death by sequestering uncommitted iron, whose levels increase with hypoxia in these cells. In the absence of FtMt, this catalytic metal excess catalyzes the production of cytotoxic reactive oxygen species (ROS). Thus, the cell ability to increase expression of FtMt during hypoxia may be a skill to avoid tissue damage derived from oxygen limitation.