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de Castro Lippi IC, da Luz Scheffer J, de Lima YS, Lunardi JS, Astolfi A, Kadri SM, Alvarez MVN, de Oliveira Orsi R. Intake of imidacloprid in lethal and sublethal doses alters gene expression in Apis mellifera bees. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 940:173393. [PMID: 38795984 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2024] [Revised: 05/18/2024] [Accepted: 05/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/28/2024]
Abstract
Bees are important pollinators for ecosystems and agriculture; however, populations have suffered a decline that may be associated with several factors, including habitat loss, climate change, increased vulnerability to diseases and parasites and use of pesticides. The extensive use of neonicotinoids, including imidacloprid, as agricultural pesticides, leads to their persistence in the environment and accumulation in bees, pollen, nectar, and honey, thereby inducing deleterious effects. Forager honey bees face significant exposure to pesticide residues while searching for resources outside the hive, particularly systemic pesticides like imidacloprid. In this study, 360 Apis mellifera bees, twenty-one days old (supposed to be in the forager phase) previously marked were fed syrup (honey and water, 1:1 m/v) containing a lethal dose (0.081 μg/bee) or sublethal dose (0.00081 μg/bee) of imidacloprid. The syrup was provided in plastic troughs, with 250 μL added per trough onto each plastic Petri dish containing 5 bees (50 μL per bee). The bees were kept in the plastic Petri dishes inside an incubator, and after 1 and 4 h of ingestion, the bees were euthanised and stored in an ultra-freezer (-80 °C) for transcriptome analysis. Following the 1-h ingestion of imidacloprid, 1516 genes (73 from lethal dose; 1509 from sublethal dose) showed differential expression compared to the control, while after 4 h, 758 genes (733 from lethal dose; 25 from sublethal) exhibited differential expression compared to the control. All differentially expressed genes found in the brain tissue transcripts of forager bees were categorised based on gene ontology into functional groups encompassing biological processes, molecular functions, and cellular components. These analyses revealed that sublethal doses might be capable of altering more genes than lethal doses, potentially associated with a phenomenon known as insecticide-induced hormesis. Alterations in genes related to areas such as the immune system, nutritional metabolism, detoxification system, circadian rhythm, odour detection, foraging activity, and memory in bees were present after exposure to the pesticide. These findings underscore the detrimental effects of both lethal and sublethal doses of imidacloprid, thereby providing valuable insights for establishing public policies regarding the use of neonicotinoids, which are directly implicated in the compromised health of Apis mellifera bees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabella Cristina de Castro Lippi
- Centre of Education, Science and Technology in Rational Beekeeping (NECTAR), Department of Animal Production and Medicine Veterinary Preventive, UNESP - Univ. Estadual Paulista, Botucatu, Brazil
| | - Jaine da Luz Scheffer
- Centre of Education, Science and Technology in Rational Beekeeping (NECTAR), Department of Animal Production and Medicine Veterinary Preventive, UNESP - Univ. Estadual Paulista, Botucatu, Brazil
| | - Yan Souza de Lima
- Centre of Education, Science and Technology in Rational Beekeeping (NECTAR), Department of Animal Production and Medicine Veterinary Preventive, UNESP - Univ. Estadual Paulista, Botucatu, Brazil
| | - Juliana Sartori Lunardi
- Centre of Education, Science and Technology in Rational Beekeeping (NECTAR), Department of Animal Production and Medicine Veterinary Preventive, UNESP - Univ. Estadual Paulista, Botucatu, Brazil
| | - Aline Astolfi
- Centre of Education, Science and Technology in Rational Beekeeping (NECTAR), Department of Animal Production and Medicine Veterinary Preventive, UNESP - Univ. Estadual Paulista, Botucatu, Brazil
| | - Samir Moura Kadri
- Centre of Education, Science and Technology in Rational Beekeeping (NECTAR), Department of Animal Production and Medicine Veterinary Preventive, UNESP - Univ. Estadual Paulista, Botucatu, Brazil
| | | | - Ricardo de Oliveira Orsi
- Centre of Education, Science and Technology in Rational Beekeeping (NECTAR), Department of Animal Production and Medicine Veterinary Preventive, UNESP - Univ. Estadual Paulista, Botucatu, Brazil.
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Liu L, Shi M, Wu Y, Xie X, Li S, Dai P, Gao J. Interactive effects of dinotefuran and Nosema ceranae on the survival status and gut microbial community of honey bees. PESTICIDE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 200:105808. [PMID: 38582580 DOI: 10.1016/j.pestbp.2024.105808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024]
Abstract
Growing evidences have shown that the decline in honey bee populations is mainly caused by the combination of multiple stressors. However, the impacts of parasitic Nosema ceranae to host fitness during long-term pesticide exposure-induced stress is largely unknown. In this study, the effects of chronic exposure to a sublethal dose of dinotefuran, in the presence or absence of N. ceranae, was examined in terms of survival, food consumption, detoxification enzyme activities and gut microbial community. The interaction between dinotefuran and Nosema ceranae on the survival of honey bee was synergistic. Co-exposure to dinotefuran and N. ceranae led to less food consumption and greater changes of enzyme activities involved in defenses against oxidative stress. Particularly, N. ceranae and dinotefuran-N. ceranae co-exposure significantly impacted the gut microbiota structure and richness in adult honey bees, while dinotefuran alone did not show significant alternation of core gut microbiota compared to the control group. We herein demonstrated that chronical exposure to dinotefuran decreases honey bee's survival but is not steadily associated with the gut microbiota dysbiosis; by contrast, N. ceranae parasitism plays a dominant role in the combination in influencing the gut microbial community of the host honey bee. Our findings provide a comprehensive understanding of combinatorial effects between biotic and abiotic stressors on one of the most important pollinators, honey bees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linlin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China; College of Life Sciences and Agriculture and Forestry, Qiqihar University, Qiqihar 161006, China
| | - Min Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China; Development Center of Plant Germplasm Resources, College of Life Sciences, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai 201418, China
| | - Yanyan Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Xianbing Xie
- Department of Laboratory Animal Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China
| | - Shanshan Li
- College of Life Sciences and Agriculture and Forestry, Qiqihar University, Qiqihar 161006, China.
| | - Pingli Dai
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China.
| | - Jing Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China.
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Gaubert J, Giovenazzo P, Derome N. Individual and social defenses in Apis mellifera: a playground to fight against synergistic stressor interactions. Front Physiol 2023; 14:1172859. [PMID: 37485064 PMCID: PMC10360197 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1172859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The honeybee is an important species for the agri-food and pharmaceutical industries through bee products and crop pollination services. However, honeybee health is a major concern, because beekeepers in many countries are experiencing significant colony losses. This phenomenon has been linked to the exposure of bees to multiple stresses in their environment. Indeed, several biotic and abiotic stressors interact with bees in a synergistic or antagonistic way. Synergistic stressors often act through a disruption of their defense systems (immune response or detoxification). Antagonistic interactions are most often caused by interactions between biotic stressors or disruptive activation of bee defenses. Honeybees have developed behavioral defense strategies and produce antimicrobial compounds to prevent exposure to various pathogens and chemicals. Expanding our knowledge about these processes could be used to develop strategies to shield bees from exposure. This review aims to describe current knowledge about the exposure of honeybees to multiple stresses and the defense mechanisms they have developed to protect themselves. The effect of multi-stress exposure is mainly due to a disruption of the immune response, detoxification, or an excessive defense response by the bee itself. In addition, bees have developed defenses against stressors, some behavioral, others involving the production of antimicrobials, or exploiting beneficial external factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joy Gaubert
- Laboratoire Derome, Département de Biologie, Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
- Laboratoire Giovenazzo, Département de Biologie, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Pierre Giovenazzo
- Laboratoire Derome, Département de Biologie, Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Nicolas Derome
- Laboratoire Derome, Département de Biologie, Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
- Laboratoire Giovenazzo, Département de Biologie, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
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De la Mora A, Morfin N, Tapia-Rivera JC, Macías-Macías JO, Tapia-González JM, Contreras-Escareño F, Petukhova T, Guzman-Novoa E. The Fungus Nosema ceranae and a Sublethal Dose of the Neonicotinoid Insecticide Thiamethoxam Differentially Affected the Health and Immunity of Africanized Honey Bees. Microorganisms 2023; 11:1258. [PMID: 37317233 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11051258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) are affected by different biotic and abiotic stressors, such as the fungus Nosema ceranae and neonicotinoid insecticides, that negatively impact their health. However, most studies so far conducted have focused on the effect of these stressors separately and in European honey bees. Therefore, this study was conducted to analyze the impact of both stressors, singly and in combination, on honey bees of African descent that have demonstrated resistance to parasites and pesticides. Africanized honey bees (AHBs, Apis mellifera scutellata Lepeletier) were inoculated with N. ceranae (1 × 105 spores/bee) and/or chronically exposed for 18 days to a sublethal dose of thiamethoxam (0.025 ng/bee) to evaluate their single and combined effects on food consumption, survivorship, N. ceranae infection, and immunity at the cellular and humoral levels. No significant effects by any of the stressors were found for food consumption. However, thiamethoxam was the main stressor associated to a significant decrease in AHB survivorship, whereas N. ceranae was the main stressor affecting their humoral immune response by upregulating the expression of the gene AmHym-1. Additionally, both stressors, separately and combined, significantly decreased the concentration of haemocytes in the haemolymph of the bees. These findings indicate that N. ceranae and thiamethoxam differentially affect the lifespan and immunity of AHBs and do not seem to have synergistic effects when AHBs are simultaneously exposed to both stressors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alvaro De la Mora
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G2W1, Canada
| | - Nuria Morfin
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G2W1, Canada
| | - José C Tapia-Rivera
- Centro de Investigaciones en Abejas, CUSUR, Universidad de Guadalajara, Enrique Arreola Silva 883, Zapotlan el Grande 49000, Jalisco, Mexico
| | - José O Macías-Macías
- Centro de Investigaciones en Abejas, CUSUR, Universidad de Guadalajara, Enrique Arreola Silva 883, Zapotlan el Grande 49000, Jalisco, Mexico
| | - José M Tapia-González
- Centro de Investigaciones en Abejas, CUSUR, Universidad de Guadalajara, Enrique Arreola Silva 883, Zapotlan el Grande 49000, Jalisco, Mexico
| | - Francisca Contreras-Escareño
- Departamento de Producción Agricola, CUCSUR, Universidad de Guadalajara, Independencia Nal. 161, Autlan 48900, Jalisco, Mexico
| | - Tatiana Petukhova
- Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G2W1, Canada
| | - Ernesto Guzman-Novoa
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G2W1, Canada
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Castelli L, Branchiccela B, Zunino P, Antúnez K. Insights into the effects of sublethal doses of pesticides glufosinate-ammonium and sulfoxaflor on honey bee health. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 868:161331. [PMID: 36623662 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.161331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Insect pollinators are threatened worldwide, being the exposure to multiple pesticides one of the most important stressor. The herbicide Glyphosate and the insecticide Imidacloprid are among the most used pesticides worldwide, although different studies evidenced their detrimental effects on non-target organisms. The emergence of glyphosate-resistant weeds and the recent ban of imidacloprid in Europe due to safety concerns, has prompted their replacement by new molecules, such as glufosinate-ammonium (GA) and sulfoxaflor (S). GA is a broad-spectrum and non-selective herbicide that inhibits a key enzyme in the metabolism of nitrogen, causing accumulation of lethal levels of ammonia; while sulfoxaflor is an agonist at insect nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) and generates excitatory responses including tremors, paralysis and mortality. Although those molecules are being increasingly used for crop protection, little is known about their effects on non-target organisms. In this study we assessed the impact of chronic and acute exposure to sublethal doses of GA and S on honey bee gut microbiota, immunity and survival. We found GA significantly reduced the number of gut bacteria, and decreased the expression of glucose oxidase, a marker of social immunity. On the other hand, S significantly increased the number of gut bacteria altering the microbiota composition, decreased the expression of lysozyme and increased the expression of hymenoptaecin. These alterations in gut microbiota and immunocompetence may lead to an increased susceptibility to pathogens. Finally, both pesticides shortened honey bee survival and increased the risk of death. Those results evidence the negative impact of GA and S on honey bees, even at single exposition to a low dose, and provide useful information to the understanding of pollinators decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loreley Castelli
- Laboratorio de Microbiología y Salud de las Abejas, Departamento de Microbiología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable (IIBCE), Avda. Italia 3318, Montevideo 11600, Uruguay
| | - Belén Branchiccela
- Sección Apicultura, Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria, Colonia 70006, Uruguay
| | - Pablo Zunino
- Laboratorio de Microbiología y Salud de las Abejas, Departamento de Microbiología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable (IIBCE), Avda. Italia 3318, Montevideo 11600, Uruguay
| | - Karina Antúnez
- Laboratorio de Microbiología y Salud de las Abejas, Departamento de Microbiología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable (IIBCE), Avda. Italia 3318, Montevideo 11600, Uruguay.
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Binding and Detoxification of Insecticides by Potentially Probiotic Lactic Acid Bacteria Isolated from Honeybee ( Apis mellifera L.) Environment-An In Vitro Study. Cells 2022; 11:cells11233743. [PMID: 36496999 PMCID: PMC9740702 DOI: 10.3390/cells11233743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Revised: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) naturally inhabiting the digestive tract of honeybees are known for their ability to detoxify xenobiotics. The effect of chlorpyrifos, coumaphos, and imidacloprid on the growth of LAB strains was tested. All strains showed high resistance to these insecticides. Subsequently, the insecticide binding ability of LAB was investigated. Coumaphos and chlorpyrifos were bound to the greatest extent (up to approx. 64%), and imidacloprid to a much weaker extent (up to approx. 36%). The insecticides were detected in extra- and intracellular extracts of the bacterial cell wall. The ability of selected LAB to reduce the cyto- and genotoxicity of insecticides was tested on two normal (ovarian insect Sf-9 and rat intestinal IEC-6) cell lines and one cancer (human intestinal Caco-2) cell line. All strains exhibited various levels of reduction in the cyto- and genotoxicity of tested insecticides. It seems that coumaphos was detoxified most potently. The detoxification abilities depended on the insecticide, LAB strain, and cell line. The detoxification of insecticides in the organisms of honeybees may reduce the likelihood of the penetration of these toxins into honeybee products consumed by humans and may contribute to the improvement of the condition in apiaries and honeybee health.
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