Roles of Hypoxia Inducible Factors in Hematopoietic Regulation

HIFs (hypoxia inducible factors) act as vital transcriptional factors mediating various aspects of physiological and pathological processes, among which hematopoiesis constitutes important physiological content. Studies have shown that HIFs perform essential roles in hematopoiesis. From developmental perspective, hematopoiesis can be divided into embryonic and adult hematopoiesis. This paper mainly reviews the current knowledge of HIFs on hematopoietic stem/progenitor cell generation and lineage differentiation at embryonic stage, and on hematopoietic stem cell maintenance and hematopoiesis steady state at adult stage. This review will provide systematic overview of HIFs involved regulatory network and basis for the understanding of pathologic hematopoiesis.