The role of HIF in FH-associated renal neoplasia

Fumarate hydratase (FH) mutations predispose to renal cysts cancer. These cancers overexpress hypoxia-inducible factor-alpha (Hif-1a). We have generated a conditional Fh1 (mouse FH) knockout mice that develop renal cysts and overexpress Hif-1a. In order to identify the contribution of Hif-1a to cyst formation we have intercrossed our mice with conditional HIf-1a KO mice. We intercrossed Fh1/Hif1a mice with kidney specific cre recombinase (Ksp-Cre) and analysed kidney cyst formation. RNA was extracted from cysts from 4xFh1 KO, 4xFh1/Hif-1a KO and 4 control mice. For each comparison littermates were used and the animals were aged 15 weeks i.e. early cystic disease.