Acta Veterinaria et Zootechnica Sinica ›› 2022, Vol. 53 ›› Issue (4): 1270-1279.doi: 10.11843/j.issn.0366-6964.2022.04.027

• CLINICAL VETERINARY MEDICINE • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Mechanism of Autophagy Block in PC12 Cells Induced by Zearalenone

CAO Qianying1,2, ZHENG Hao1, WANG Yaling1, ZOU Hui1, GU Jianhong1, YUAN Yan1, LIU Xuezhong1, LIU Zongping1,2, BIAN Jianchun1,2*   

  1. 1. College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China;
    2. Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou 225009, China
  • Received:2021-07-19 Online:2022-04-23 Published:2022-04-25

Abstract: This experiment aims to investigate the mechanism of zearalenone (ZEA) on autophagy block of PC12 cells. Taking PC12 cells (rat renal pheochromocytoma) for research materials, treated with different concentration of ZEA for 24 h, Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) was used to detect the cell survival rate. The optimal concentration of ZEA was screened. PC12 cells were divided into control group, 15 μmol·L-1 ZEA group and 30 μmol·L-1 ZEA group. The two ZEA groups were treated with 15, 30 μmol·L-1 ZEA for 24 h, respectively, and the control group was administered with the same amount of 1640 medium. Western blot was used to detect the expression levels of autophagy associated proteins Atg5, LC3Ⅱ, p62, Beclin1, lysosomal associated membrane proteins LAMP1, cathepsin B(CTSB) and cathepsin D (CTSD), TFEB proteins in cytoplasm and nucleus, autophagosomal and lysosomal fusion associated proteins STX-17 and SNAP29. The immunofluorescence assay was used to detect LC3 fluorescence dots and TFEB nuclear translocation. The mRFP-GFP-LC3 was used to detect autophagy flow. AO staining was used to observe the changes of intracellular acidic environment. The results showed that compared with the control group, the expression levels of Atg5, LC3Ⅱ, p62 and Beclin1 in all ZEA treatment groups were significantly increased (P<0.05). The immunofluorescence showed that LC3 fluorescence dots increased gradually. The mRFP-GFP-LC3 assay showed autophagy flow was blocked. The expression levels of cytoplasmic protein CTSD and CTSB in ZEA-treated group were significantly increased (P<0.0), while the expression level of LAMP1 decreased significantly when ZEA was 30 μmol·L-1(P<0.05). The result of AO staining showed that ZEA could damage the lysosome of PC12 cells. The expression level of p-ERK and TFEB protein in nucleus was significantly decreased (P<0.05). However, there was no significant change in the expression levels of TFEB protein in cytoplasm. The expression level of SNAP29 and STX-17 protein decreased significantly (P<0.05).In conclusion, ZEA can increase the autophagy level and increase the number of autophagosomes in PC12 cells, accompanied by autophagy flow block. The mechanism was related to ZEA lysosomal damage, inhibition of TFEB entry into the nucleus, and reduction of autophagosomal-lysosomal fusion related protein expression.

Key words: zearalenone, PC12 cells, autophagy flow, autophagy flow block

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