The Fas/FasL signaling pathway, controlled by nuclear factor-kappa B (NF kappa B) at the transcriptional level, is critical for triggering germ cell apoptosis in response to mono-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP)-induced Sertoli cell (SC) injury, but the exact regulation mechanism remain unknown. Here, we discovered that expression level of Metastasis associated protein 1 (MTA1), a component of the Mi-2/nucleosome remodeling and deacetylase complex, was upregulated in SCs during the early recovery after MEHP exposure. This expression change was in line with the dynamic changes in germ cell apoptosis in response to MEHP treatment. Furthermore, a knockdown of MTA1 by RNAi in SCs was found to impair the MEHP-induced early activation of NF kappa B pathway and abolish the recruitment of NF kappa B onto FasL promoter, which consequently diminished the MEHP-triggered FasL induction. Considering that Fas/FasL is a well characterized apoptosis initiating signaling during SCs injury, our results point to a potential "switch on" effect of MTA1, which may govern the activation of NF kappa B/FasL cascade in MEHP-insulted SCs. Overall, the MTA1/NF kappa B/FasL circuit may serve as an important defensive/repairing mechanism to help to control the germ cell quality after SCs injury. (C) 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.