M.Morita and O.Ohneda contributed equally to this workAn HLF (HIF-1a-like factor)/HIF-2a-knockout mouse is embryonic lethal, preventing investigation of HLF function in adult mice. To investigate the role of HLF in adult pathological angiogenesis, we generated HLF-knockdown (HLF kd/kd ) mice by inserting a neomycin gene sandwiched between two loxP sequences into exon 1 of the HLF gene. HLF kd/kd mice expressing 80±20% reduction, depending on the tissue, in wildtype HLF mRNA were fertile and apparently normal. Hyperoxia±normoxia treatment, used as a murine model of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), induced neovascularization in wild-type mice, but not in HLF kd/kd mice, whereas prolonged normoxia following hyperoxic treatment caused degeneration of retinal neural layers in HLF kd/kd mice due to poor vascularization. Cre-mediated removal of the inserted gene recovered normal HLF expression and retinal neovascularization in HLF kd/kd mice. Expression levels of various angiogenic factors revealed that only erythropoietin (Epo) gene expression was signi®cantly affected, in parallel with HLF expression. Together with the results from intraperitoneal injection of Epo into HLF kd/kd mouse, this suggests that Epo is one of the target genes of HLF responsible for experimental ROP.