Microcystin-leucine-arginine induced neurotoxicity by initiating mitochondrial fission in hippocampal neurons

[Display omitted] •MC-LR entered HT-22 cells in a concentration-dependent pattern.•MC-LR exposure induced oxidative stress in HT-22 cells.•MC-LR exposure induced mitochondrial fragmentation in HT-22 cells.•MC-LR exposure could induce apoptotic way of HT-22 cells death.•MC-LR exposure induced mitochondrial fragmentation in hippocampus of mice and neurodegeneration. Microcystin–leucine–arginine (MC-LR) can cross the blood–brain barrier (BBB) and demonstrate potent acute hippocampal neurotoxicity. Chronic exposure to MC-LR has been confirmed to cause learning and memory deficits in mice, but the potential molecular mechanism of MC-LR-caused neurotoxicity is still unclear. In this research, we observed that MC-LR induced oxidative stress, mitochondrial fission and apoptosis in HT-22 hippocampal neurons. Moreover, further studies identified that MC-LR induced mitochondrial fragmentation via activating Dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1) and Mitochondrial fission factor (Mff), contributing to apoptosis of hippocampal neuronal cells. The observed effects were associated with increased intracellular Ca2+ and reduced activity of protein phosphatases 2A (PP2A) as results of MC-LR exposure in hippocampal neuron cells. Ca2+ activates CaMK II and Akt to enhance phosphorylation of Drp1 at Ser616 residue. Inhibition of PP2A activity increased AMPK activity to mediate phosphorylation of Mff. Our data proved that MC-LR can cause mitochondrial fragmentation in hippocampal neurons, which provides novel perception to explore the underlying molecular mechanism associated with MC-LR-induced neurotoxicity and Alzheimer’s disease-like changes.