Abstract

Melamine is an organic nitrogenous compound widely used as an industrial chemical, and it has been recently reported by us that melamine has a toxic effect on the female reproductive system in mice, and renders females subfertile; the molecular basis, however, has not been adequately assessed. In the present study, we explore the underlying mechanism regarding how melamine compromises fertility in the mouse. The data showed that melamine exposure significantly impaired the fertilization capability of the egg during in vitro fertilization. To further figure out the cause, we analyzed ovastacin localization and protein level, the sperm binding ability of zona pellucida, and ZP2 cleavage status in unfertilized eggs from melamine fed mice, and no obvious differences were found between control and treatment groups. However, the protein level of Juno on the egg plasma membrane in the high-dose feeding group indeed significantly decreased compared to the control group. Thus, these data suggest that melamine compromises female fertility via suppressing Juno protein level on the egg membrane.

Highlights

  • Melamine (1,3,5-triazine–2,4,6-triamine, or C3H6N6) is a nitrogen heterocyclic triazine compound [1, 2] which has been widely used as an industrial chemical in many plastics, adhesives, glues, and laminated products such as plywood, cement, cleansers, fireretardant paint, and more [2, 3]

  • Melamine does not result in mislocalization and premature exocytosis of ovastacin in eggs

  • Melamine (2, 4, 6-triamino-1, 3, 5-triazine), a chemical material, is a widely used industrial chemical that is not considered acutely toxic with a high LD50 in animals, and the oral LD50 ranges from 3.2 g/kg to 7.0 g/kg in mice [21]

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Summary

Introduction

Melamine (1,3,5-triazine–2,4,6-triamine, or C3H6N6) is a nitrogen heterocyclic triazine compound [1, 2] which has been widely used as an industrial chemical in many plastics, adhesives, glues, and laminated products such as plywood, cement, cleansers, fireretardant paint, and more [2, 3]. Melamine developed as a chemical in the 1830s, and had varied and widespread legitimate uses. Fertilization is a culminating event in mammals, involved in two haploid cells, the egg and the sperm. They meet in the female reproductive tract, interact, and fuse to become a PLOS ONE | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0144248. They meet in the female reproductive tract, interact, and fuse to become a PLOS ONE | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0144248 December 3, 2015

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