The von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease product is thought to down-regulate transcription by antagonizing elongin-enhanced transcriptional elongation. Germline VHL gene mutations predispose to the development of retinal, cerebellar and spinal haemangioblastomas, renal cell carcinoma and phaeochromocytoma. In addition, somatic Inactivation of the VHL gene is frequent in sporadic renal cell carcinoma and haemangioblastoma. Regulation of transcript elongation is an important control mechanism for gene expression and the VHL gene might modify the expression of proto-oncogenes and growth suppressor genes during embryogenesis. We therefore investigated the expression of VHL mRNA during human embryogenesis by in situ hybridization studies at 4, 6 and 10 weeks post conception. Although VHL mRNA was expressed in all three germ layers, strong expression was noted in the central nervous system, kidneys, testis and lung. Within the kidney, VHL mRNA was differentially expressed within renal tubules suggesting that the VHL gene product may have a specific role in kidney development. Two alternatively spliced VHL mRNAs characterized by inclusion (isoform I) or exclusion (isoform II) of exon 2 are transcribed in adult tissues. To investigate if the two isoforms are differentially expressed during embryogenesis, VHL mRNA was reverse transcribed from 13 fetal tissues (8-10 weeks gestation). The quantitative distribution of VHL mRNA within fetal tissues reflected that seen by in situ hybridization and the ratio of the two VHL isoforms was similar between tissues. Although the genes regulated by the VHL gene product have not yet been identified, our findings are compatible with the hypothesis that VHL-mediated control of transcriptional elongation may have a role in normal human development.

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF/SF) is a potent renal proximal tubular cell (PTEC) mitogen involved in renal development. HGF/SF is the functional ligand for the c-met proto-oncogene, and germline c-met mutations are associated with familial papillary renal cell carcinoma. Somatic von Hippel-Lindau disease tumour-suppressor gene (VHL) mutations are frequently detected in sporadic clear cell renal cell carcinomas (RCC), and germline VHL mutations are the commonest cause of familial clear cell RCC. pVHL binds to the positive regulatory components of the trimeric elongin (SIII) complex (elongins B and C) and has been observed to deregulate expression of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene. HGF/SF has similarly been reported to up-regulate expression of the VEGF gene in non-renal experimental systems. To investigate the mechanism of HGF/SF action in PTECs and, specifically, to examine potential interactions between the HGF/c-met and the VHL-mediated pathways for renal tubular growth control, we have isolated untransformed PTECs from normal kidneys, developed conditions for their culture in vitro and used these cells to investigate changes in mRNA levels of the VHL, elongin A, B and C, VEGF, c-myc, c-fos and c-met genes after HGF/SF exposure. Significant elevations in the mRNA levels of VEGF, c-myc, c-fos, c-met and elongins A, B and C, but not VHL, were detected after HGF/SF stimulation of human PTECs (P < 0.02), with a consistent order of peak levels observed over successive replicates (c-fos at 1 h, VEGF at 2-4 h, c-myc, at 4 h, followed by c-met and all three elongin subunits at 8 h). This study highlights the spectrum of changes in gene expression observed in PTECs after HGF/SF stimulation and has identified possible candidate mediators of the HGF/SF-induced mitogenic response. Our evidence would suggest that the changes in PTEC VEGF expression induced by HGF/SF are mediated by a VHL-independent pathway. Images Figure 1