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Hypoxia signaling in the adipose tissue
Phu M. Huynh1 , Fenfen Wang1 , Yu A. An1,2,3,*
1Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
2Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
3Center for Metabolic and Degenerative Diseases, The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
*Correspondence to:Yu A. An , Email:Yu.An@uth.tmc.edu
J Mol Cell Biol, Volume 16, Issue 8, August 2024, mjae039,  https://doi.org/10.1093/jmcb/mjae039
Keyword: hypoxia, obesity, adipose tissue, hypoxia-inducible factor

Obesity per se is rapidly emerging all over the planet and further accounts for many other life-threatening conditions, such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and cancers. Decreased oxygen supply or increased relative oxygen consumption in the adipose tissue results in adipose tissue hypoxia, which is a hallmark of obesity. This review aims to provide an up-to-date overview of the hypoxia signaling in the adipose tissue. First, we summarize literature evidence to demonstrate that hypoxia is regularly observed during adipose tissue remodeling in humans and rodent models with obesity. Next, we discuss how hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) are regulated and how adipose tissues behave in response to hypoxia. Then, the differential roles of adipose HIF-1α and HIF-2α in adipose tissue biology and obesity pathology are highlighted. Finally, the review emphasizes the importance of modulating adipose hypoxia as a therapeutic avenue to assist adipose tissues in functionally adapting to hypoxic conditions, ultimately promoting adipose health and improving outcomes due to obesity.