Analysis of the Roles of the ISLR2 Gene in Regulating the Toxicity of Zearalenone Exposure in Porcine Intestinal Epithelial Cells

Zearalenone (ZEN) is one of the mycotoxins that pose high risks for human and animal health, as well as food safety. However, the regulators involved in ZEN cellular toxicity remain largely unknown. Herein, we showed that cell viability of porcine intestinal epithelial cells (IPEC-J2) tended to decrease with increasing doses of ZEN by the cell counting kit-8 assay. Expression of the ISLR2 (immunoglobulin superfamily containing leucine-rich repeat 2) gene in IPEC-J2 cells was significantly downregulated upon ZEN exposure. Furthermore, we found the dose-effect of ZEN on ISLR2 expression. We then overexpressed the ISLR2 gene and observed that overexpression of ISLR2 obviously reduced the effects of ZEN on cell viability, apoptosis rate and oxidative stress level. In addition, ISLR2 overexpression significantly decreased the expression of TNF-alpha and IFN-alpha induced by ZEN. Our findings revealed the effects of ZEN on the ISLR2 gene expression and indicated the ISLR2 gene as a novel regulator of ZEN-induced cytotoxicity, which provides potential molecular targets against ZEN toxicity.

Automated summary

This study revealed the toxic effects of ZEN on porcine intestinal epithelial cells and the regulatory role of the ISLR2 gene. Overexpression of ISLR2 gene can alleviate the cytotoxic effects of ZEN and decrease the expression of inflammatory factors induced by ZEN. This finding provides potential molecular targets against ZEN toxicity.