2. Academic Validation
  3. Microcystin-LR accelerates follicular atresia in mice via JNK-mediated adherent junction damage of ovarian granulosa cells

Microcystin-LR accelerates follicular atresia in mice via JNK-mediated adherent junction damage of ovarian granulosa cells

  • Ecotoxicol Environ Saf. 2023 Feb 1;252:114592. doi: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.114592.
Xingde Du 1,  Yu Fu 1,  Zhihui Tian 1,  Haohao Liu 1,  Hongxia Xin 2,  Xiaoli Fu 1,  Fufang Wang 1,  Huizhen Zhang 3,  Xin Zeng 4
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China.
  • 2 Henan Eye Institute, Henan Eye Hospital, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Zhengzhou 450003, China.
  • 3 College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
  • 4 College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
PMID: 36731181 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.114592
Abstract

Microcystin-LR (MC-LR), one of aquatic environmental contaminants with reproductive toxicity produced by cyanobacterial blooms, but its toxic effects and mechanisms on the ovary are not fully understood. Here, proteomic techniques and Molecular Biology experiments were performed to study the potential mechanism of MC-LR-caused ovarian toxicity. Results showed that protein expression profile of ovarian granulosa cells (KK-1) was changed by 17 μg/mL MC-LR exposure. Comparing with the control group, 118 upregulated proteins as well as 97 downregulated proteins were identified in MC-LR group. Function of differentially expressed proteins was found to be enriched in pathways related to adherent junction, such as cadherin binding, cell-cell junction, cell adhesion and focal adherens. Furthermore, in vitro experiments, MC-LR significantly downregulated the expression levels of proteins associated with adherent junction (β-catenin, N-Cadherin, and α-catenin) as well as caused cytoskeletal disruption in KK-1 cells (P < 0.05), indicating that the adherent junction was damaged. Results of in vivo experiments have shown that after 14 days of acute MC-LR exposure (40 μg/kg), damaged adherent junction and an increased number of atretic follicles were observed in mouse ovaries. Moreover, MC-LR activated JNK, an upstream regulator of adherent junction proteins, in KK-1 cells and mouse ovarian tissues. In contrast, JNK inhibition alleviated MC-LR-induced adherent junction damage in vivo and in vitro, as well as the number of atretic follicles. Taken together, findings from the present study indicated that JNK is involved in MC-LR-induced granulosa cell adherent junction damage, which accelerated follicular atresia. Our study clarified a novel mechanism of MC-LR-caused ovarian toxicity, providing a theoretical foundation for protecting female reproductive health from environmental pollutants.

Keywords

Adherent junction; C-Jun N-terminal kinase; Follicular atresia; Microcystin-leucine arginine; Proteomics.

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