| Summary: | Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a mycotoxin that is found in feed ingredients derived from grains such as corn and wheat. Consumption of DON-contaminated feed has been shown to cause damage to the intestine, kidneys, and liver. However, the molecular mechanism by which DON exerts its effect in the small intestine is not completely understood. As a result, we profiled gene expression in intestinal epithelial cells treated with DON and examined the molecular function in vitro. We hypothesized that DON could induce apoptosis via the FOXO3a-signaling pathway in intestinal epithelial cells based on these findings. DON induced the apoptosis and the translocation of <i>FOXO3a</i> into the nucleus. Moreover, the inhibiting of <i>FOXO3a</i> alleviated the apoptosis and expression of apoptosis-related genes (<i>TRAL</i>, <i>BCL-6</i>, <i>CASP8</i>, and <i>CASP3</i>). ERK1/2 inhibitor treatment suppressed the translocation of <i>FOXO3a</i> into the nucleus. Our discovery suggests that DON induces apoptosis in intestinal epithelial cells through the FOXO3a-signaling pathway.
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