EPAS1 and neoplasm: Furthermore, Lachance et al. demonstrated that DNMT3a mediates silencing of endothelial PAS domain protein 1 (EPAS1), which encodes HIF2α, in renal epithelial cells, and that the loss of DNMT3a can lead to the induction of HIF2α, which provides these tumor cells with a selective growth advantage in hypoxia [107].