Regulation of TRAF6 by MicroRNA-146a in Zebrafish Embryos after Exposure to Di(2-Ethylhexyl) Phthalate at Different Concentrations

As an endocrine disruptor, di­(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is ubiquitous in multiple environmental media, causing long-term toxic effects on organisms. MicroRNAs are a class of noncoding RNAs with only 20–24 nucleotides in length, which regulate the expression of many protein-coding genes when organisms are exposed to environmental chemicals. MiR-146a, a differentially expressed miRNA after DEHP exposure, was screened by miRNA sequencing. As its target, TRAF6 was predicted and identified by double fluorescent protein assay and double fluorescent gene reporting assay. It shows the contrary expression pattern with miR-146a when mimics and inhibitors were transfected into ZF4 cells. MiR-146a and TRAF6 were downregulated and upregulated, respectively, in zebrafish embryos exposed to a low-dose concentration gradient of DEHP. These results deepen our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of DEHP toxicity and suggest that miR-146a can serve as a potential biomarker for DEHP exposure.