An alternatively spliced transcript of the PHD3 gene retains prolyl hydroxylase activity

Cellular response to limiting oxygen levels is managed, in part, by the transcription factor hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1), and the prolyl hydroxylase (PHD) family of oxygen-requiring enzymes. In the process of analyzing the expression of PHD3, we observed the presence of two alternatively processed PHD3 transcripts, designated PHD3Δ1 and PHD3Δ4 . The expression of both PHD3 and PHD3Δ1 was observed in all tissues and cell lines tested, although the expression of the novel PHD3Δ4 appeared to be restricted to primary cancer tissues. The function of PHD3Δ4 was assessed in transfection experiments showing a preserved prolyl hydroxylase activity. We would submit that PHD3 variants generated by alternative splicing may be intrinsically involved in the complex system of oxygen sensing.