Mycotoxins can cause body poisoning and induce carcinogenesis, often with a high mortality rate. Therefore, it is of great significance to seek new targets that indicate mycotoxin activity and to diagnose and intervene in mycotoxin-induced diseases in their early stages. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are physiological regulators whose dysregulation is closely related to the development of diseases. They are thus important markers for the occurrence and development of diseases. In this review, consideration is given to the toxicological mechanisms associated with four major mycotoxins (ochratoxin A, aflatoxin B1, deoxynivalenol, and zearalenone). The roles that miRNAs play in these mechanisms and the interactions between them and their target genes are explained, and summarize the important role of histone modifications in their toxicity. As a result, the ways that miRNAs are regulated in the pathogenicity signaling pathways are revealed which highlights the roles played by miRNAs in preventing and controlling the harmful effects of the mycotoxins. It is hoped that this review will provide a theoretical basis for the prevention and control of the damage caused by these mycotoxins.

Biomedical Research Center University Hospital Hradec Kralove Hradec Kralove 50003 Czech Republic

College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine Shenyang Agricultural University Shenyang 110866 China

Department of Chemistry Faculty of Science University of Hradec Kralove Hradec Kralove 50003 Czech Republic

MOE Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety College of Veterinary Medicine Nanjing Agricultural University Nanjing 210095 China

SIBS UGENT SJTU Joint Laboratory of Mycotoxin Research CAS Key Laboratory of Nutrition Metabolism and Food Safety Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Chinese Academy of Sciences Shanghai 200031 China

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