Induction of VEGFA mRNA translation by CoCl 2 mediated by HuR

VEGFA is potently induced by hypoxia and by pathological conditions including diabetic retinopathy and tumorigenesis. Fine-tuning of VEGFA expression by different stimuli is important for maintaining tissue vascularization and organ homeostasis.

Here, we tested the effect of the hypoxia mimetic cobalt chloride (CoCl 2 ) on VEGFA expression in human cervical carcinoma HeLa cells. We found that CoCl 2 increased the levels of VEGFA mRNA and VEGFA protein without affecting VEGFA mRNA stability. Biotin pulldown analysis to capture the RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) bound to VEGFA mRNA followed by mass spectrometry analysis revealed that the RBP HuR [human antigen R, a member of the embryonic lethal abnormal vision (ELAV) family of proteins], interacts with VEGFA mRNA.