Mitochondrial regulation of oxygen sensing

Maintenance of oxygen homoeostasis is required for the survival of higher organisms. The transcription factor hypoxia inducible factor (HIF) has a crucial role in oxygen homoeostasis by integrating the decrease in oxygen levels to increase hypoxic gene expression. How cells sense decrease in oxygen levels to elicit an increase in HIF dependent gene expression is not fully understood. In this review, we discuss the role of mitochondria as oxygen sensors regulating HIF.