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Vertebrate reproductive science and technology
RESEARCH ARTICLE

In vivo zearalenone exposure dose-dependently compromises mouse oocyte competence by impairing chromatin configuration and gene transcription

Liu-Zhu Pan A , Hao Cheng A , Jie Zhang A , Shuai Gong A , Xiao-Dan Tian A , Cheng-Jie Pan A , Ming-Jiu Luo https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0460-8358 A and Jing-He Tan https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6437-6259 A B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology and Disease Control and Prevention, College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an City 271018, PR China.

B Corresponding author. Email: tanjh@sdau.edu.cn

Reproduction, Fertility and Development - https://doi.org/10.1071/RD20273
Submitted: 14 October 2020  Accepted: 5 December 2020   Published online: 8 January 2021

Abstract

Although in vivo and in vitro zearalenone (ZEN) exposure impaired oocyte quality, the mechanisms by which ZEN damages oocytes and the lowest observed effect level remain unclear. Furthermore, although it is known that premature chromatin condensation may occur in oocytes under proapoptotic conditions, whether ZEN exposure compromises oocyte competence by impairing gene transcription by causing premature chromatin condensation remains to be investigated. This study tested the toxic concentrations of in vivo ZEN exposure that impair oocyte preimplantation developmental potential (PIDP) and the hypothesis that ZEN exposure compromises oocyte competence by increasing oxidative stress and changing chromatin configuration and the transcription of related genes. We found that in vivo treatment of mice (Kunming strain, 8 weeks after birth) with 0.5–1 mg kg−1 ZEN daily for 5 days, impaired the PIDP of mouse oocytes, increased oxidative stress, disturbed spindle assembly and chromosome segregation, caused premature chromatin condensation, impaired global gene transcription and disturbed the expression of genes related to oocyte competence, spindle assembly, redox potential and apoptosis. In conclusion, ZEN dose-dependently compromised the competence of mouse oocytes by causing oxidative stress and impairing chromatin configuration and gene transcription.

Graphical Abstract Image

Keywords: apoptosis, gene expression, oocyte maturation.


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