Figure 5
Proposed mechanism illustrating the intersection between glucose metabolism and the HIF-1α pathway. At the transition from anaerobic to mixed anaerobic-aerobic metabolism, intracellular lactate concentration is maximal. In the presence of oxygen, the accumulation of lactate stabilizes the transcription factor HIF-1α (hypoxia inducible factor 1α) by interfering with proline-hydroxylase-2 (PHD2), resulting in the regulation of hypoxia-induced gene expression independent of hypoxia (pseudo-hypoxia).