Microcystin-RR (MC-RR) is a commonly encountered cyanotoxin and receives increasing attention due to the risk of its bioaccumulation in aquatic animals like fish. This study investigated the protein profiles of zebrafish (Danio rerio) testes after intraperitoneal injection (i.p.) with 0.5 LD(50) (2000 μg/kg). MC-RR caused a noticeable damage to testicular ultrastructure, showing widened intercellular junction, distention of mitochondria. The testes showed a rapid response of its defense systems to the oxidative stress caused by MC-RR. This is the first to use a proteomic approach to obtain an overview of the effects of MC-RR on the testes of zebrafish. The proteomic results revealed that toxin exposure remarkably altered the abundance of 24 proteins that were involved in cytoskeleton assembly, oxidative stress, glycolysis metabolism, calcium ion binding and other biological functions. In conclusion, MC-RR damaged the testes and was toxic to the reproductive system of male zebrafish mainly through causing oxidative stress.
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