HIF-1α regulates mitochondrial function in bone marrow-derived macrophages, but not in tissue-resident alveolar macrophages

Abstract

HIF-1 plays a critical role in shaping macrophage phenotype and effector function. We have previously shown that tissue-resident alveolar macrophages (TR-AMs) have extremely low glycolytic capacity at steady-state, but can shift toward glycolysis under hypoxic conditions. Here, using inducible HIF-1 knockout (Hif1a-/-) TR-AMs and bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) and show that TR-AM HIF-1 is required for the glycolytic shift under prolyl hydroxylase inhibition, but is dispensable at steady-state for inflammatory effector function. In contrast, HIF-1 deletion in BMDMs led to diminished glycolytic capacity at steady-state and reduced inflammatory capacity, but higher mitochondrial function. Gene set enrichment analysis revealed enhanced c-Myc transcriptional activity in Hif1a-/- BMDMs, and upregulation of gene pathways related to ribosomal biogenesis and cellular proliferation. The findings highlight the heterogeneity of HIF-1 function in distinct macrophage populations and provide new insight into how HIF-1 regulates gene expression, inflammation, and metabolism in macrophages.