chi‐miR‐130b‐3p regulates the ZEA‐induced oxidative stress damage through the KEAP1/NRF2 signaling pathway by targeting SESN2 in goat GCs

As a dominant mycotoxin, zearalenone (ZEA) has attracted extensive attention due to its estrogen-like effect and oxidative stress damage in cells. In order to find a way to relieve cell oxidative stress damage caused by ZEA, we treated goat granulosa cells (GCs) with ZEA and did a whole transcriptome sequencing. The results showed that the expression level of Sesterin2 (SESN2) was promoted extremely significantly in the ZEA group (p < .01). In addition, our research demonstrated that SESN2 could regulate oxidative stress level in GCs through Recombinant Kelch Like ECH Associated Protein 1 (KEAP1)/Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) signaling pathway. The overexpression of SESN2 could reduce the oxidative damage, whereas knockdown of SESN2 would aggravate the oxidative damage caused by ZEA. What's more, microRNA (miRNA) chi-miR-130b-3p can bind to SESN2 3'-untranslated region (3'UTR) to regulate the expression of SESN2. The mimics/inhibition of chi-miR-130b-3p would have an effect on oxidative damage triggered by ZEA in GCs as well. In summary, these results elucidate a new pathway by which chi-miR-130b-3p affects the KEAP1/NRF2 pathway in GCs by modulating SESN2 expression in response to ZEA-induced oxidative stress damage.