Fusaric acid-induced epigenetic modulation of hepatic H3K9me3 triggers apoptosis and .

To determine the effect of the food-borne mycotoxin, fusaric acid (FA) on miR-200a, SUV39H1-mediated H3K9me3, genome integrity and apoptosis in human liver (HepG2) cells and C57BL/6 mice livers. MiR-200a, Sirt1, SUV39H1-mediated H3K9me3, genome integrity and apoptosis was measured in HepG2 cells and C57BL/6 mice livers using qPCR, western blot, DNA electrophoresis and luminometry. FA: upregulated miR-200a and decreased Sirt1 expression in HepG2 cells and mice livers; decreased expression of SUV39H1 and , thus decreasing H3K9me3 and increasing H3K9me1; increased cell mortality via apoptosis. FA induced apoptosis by upregulating miR-200a and decreasing SUV39H1-mediated H3K9me3 in HepG2 cells and mice livers.