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Bass C, Hayward A, Troczka BJ, Haas J, Nauen R. The molecular determinants of pesticide sensitivity in bee pollinators. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 915:170174. [PMID: 38246392 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170174] [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: 11/14/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 01/13/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
Bees carry out vital ecosystem services by pollinating both wild and economically important crop plants. However, while performing this function, bee pollinators may encounter potentially harmful xenobiotics in the environment such as pesticides (fungicides, herbicides and insecticides). Understanding the key factors that influence the toxicological outcomes of bee exposure to these chemicals, in isolation or combination, is essential to safeguard their health and the ecosystem services they provide. In this regard, recent work using toxicogenomic and phylogenetic approaches has begun to identify, at the molecular level, key determinants of pesticide sensitivity in bee pollinators. These include detoxification systems that convert pesticides to less toxic forms and key residues in insecticide target-sites that underlie species-specific insecticide selectivity. Here we review this emerging body of research and summarise the state of knowledge of the molecular determinants of pesticide sensitivity in bee pollinators. We identify gaps in our knowledge for future research and examine how an understanding of the genetic basis of bee sensitivity to pesticides can be leveraged to, a) predict and avoid negative bee-pesticide interactions and facilitate the future development of pest-selective bee-safe insecticides, and b) inform traditional effect assessment approaches in bee pesticide risk assessment and address issues of ecotoxicological concern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris Bass
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, United Kingdom.
| | - Angela Hayward
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, United Kingdom
| | - Bartlomiej J Troczka
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, United Kingdom
| | - Julian Haas
- Bayer AG, Crop Science Division, Alfred Nobel-Strasse 50, Monheim, Germany
| | - Ralf Nauen
- Bayer AG, Crop Science Division, Alfred Nobel-Strasse 50, Monheim, Germany.
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2
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Schwarz JM, Knauer AC, Alaux C, Barascou L, Barraud A, Dievart V, Ghazoul J, Michez D, Albrecht M. Diverse pollen nutrition can improve the development of solitary bees but does not mitigate negative pesticide impacts. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 912:169494. [PMID: 38142004 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169494] [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: 09/07/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/25/2023]
Abstract
Floral resource loss and pesticide exposure are major threats to bees in intensively managed agroecosystems, but interactions among these drivers remain poorly understood. Altered composition and lowered diversity of pollen nutrition may reinforce negative pesticide impacts on bees. Here we investigated the development and survival of the solitary bee Osmia bicornis provisioned with three different pollen types, as well as a mixture of these types representing a higher pollen diversity. We exposed bees of each nutritional treatment to five pesticides at different concentrations in the laboratory. Two field-realistic concentrations of three nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) modulating insecticides (thiacloprid, sulfoxaflor and flupyradifurone), as well as of two fungicides (azoxystrobin and tebuconazole) were examined. We further measured the expression of two detoxification genes (CYP9BU1, CYP9BU2) under exposure to thiacloprid across different nutrition treatments as a potential mechanistic pathway driving pesticide-nutrition interactions. We found that more diverse pollen nutrition reduced development time, enhanced pollen efficacy (cocoon weight divided by consumed pollen weight) and pollen consumption, and increased weight of O. bicornis after larval development (cocoon weight). Contrary to fungicides, high field-realistic concentrations of all three insecticides negatively affected O. bicornis by extending development times. Moreover, sulfoxaflor and flupyradifurone also reduced pollen efficacy and cocoon weight, and sulfoxaflor reduced pollen consumption and increased mortality. The expression of detoxification genes differed across pollen nutrition types, but was not enhanced after exposure to thiacloprid. Our findings highlight that lowered diversity of pollen nutrition and high field-realistic exposure to nAChR modulating insecticides negatively affected the development of O. bicornis, but we found no mitigation of negative pesticide impacts through increased pollen diversity. These results have important implications for risk assessment for bee pollinators, indicating that negative effects of nAChR modulating insecticides to developing solitary bees are currently underestimated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janine M Schwarz
- Agroscope, Agroecology and Environment, Zurich, Switzerland; ETH Zurich, Institute for Terrestrial Ecosystems, Ecosystem Management, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Anina C Knauer
- Agroscope, Agroecology and Environment, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Cedric Alaux
- INRAE, Abeilles et Environnement, Avignon, France
| | | | - Alexandre Barraud
- Research Institute for Biosciences, Laboratory of Zoology, University of Mons, Mons, Belgium
| | | | - Jaboury Ghazoul
- ETH Zurich, Institute for Terrestrial Ecosystems, Ecosystem Management, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Denis Michez
- Research Institute for Biosciences, Laboratory of Zoology, University of Mons, Mons, Belgium
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3
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Mustard JA, Dobb R, Wright GA. Chronic nicotine exposure influences learning and memory in the honey bee. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 151:104582. [PMID: 37918514 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2023.104582] [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: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 10/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
In insects, nicotine activates nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, which are expressed throughout the central nervous system. However, little work has been done to investigate the effects of chronic nicotine treatment on learning or other behaviors in non-herbivorous insects. To examine the effects of long term nicotine consumption on learning and memory, honey bees were fed nicotine containing solutions over four days. Bees were able to detect nicotine at 0.1 mM in sucrose solutions, and in a no choice assay, bees reduced food intake when nicotine was 1 mM or higher. Treatment with a low dose of nicotine decreased the proportion of bees able to form an associative memory when bees were conditioned with either a massed or spaced appetitive olfactory training paradigm. On the other hand, higher doses of nicotine increased memory retention and the proportion of bees responding to the odor during 10 min and 24 h recall tests. The reduction in nicotine containing food consumed may also impact response levels during learning and recall tests. These data suggest that long term exposure to nicotine has complex effects on learning and memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie A Mustard
- School of Integrative Biological and Chemical Sciences, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Brownsville, TX 78520, USA.
| | - Rachel Dobb
- Centre for Behaviour and Evolution, Institute of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
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4
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Haas J, Beck E, Troczka BJ, Hayward A, Hertlein G, Zaworra M, Lueke B, Buer B, Maiwald F, Beck ME, Nebelsiek B, Glaubitz J, Bass C, Nauen R. A conserved hymenopteran-specific family of cytochrome P450s protects bee pollinators from toxic nectar alkaloids. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadg0885. [PMID: 37043574 PMCID: PMC10096648 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adg0885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Many plants produce chemical defense compounds as protection against antagonistic herbivores. However, how beneficial insects such as pollinators deal with the presence of these potentially toxic chemicals in nectar and pollen is poorly understood. Here, we characterize a conserved mechanism of plant secondary metabolite detoxification in the Hymenoptera, an order that contains numerous highly beneficial insects. Using phylogenetic and functional approaches, we show that the CYP336 family of cytochrome P450 enzymes detoxifies alkaloids, a group of potent natural insecticides, in honeybees and other hymenopteran species that diverged over 281 million years. We linked this function to an aspartic acid residue within the main access channel of CYP336 enzymes that is highly conserved within this P450 family. Together, these results provide detailed insights into the evolution of P450s as a key component of detoxification systems in hymenopteran species and reveal the molecular basis of adaptations arising from interactions between plants and beneficial insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian Haas
- Crop Science Division, Bayer AG, Alfred Nobel-Strasse 50, Monheim, Germany
| | - Elena Beck
- Crop Science Division, Bayer AG, Alfred Nobel-Strasse 50, Monheim, Germany
- University of Cologne, Department of Chemistry, Institute of Biochemistry, Cologne, Germany
| | - Bartlomiej J. Troczka
- College for Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, UK
| | - Angela Hayward
- College for Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, UK
| | - Gillian Hertlein
- Crop Science Division, Bayer AG, Alfred Nobel-Strasse 50, Monheim, Germany
| | - Marion Zaworra
- Crop Science Division, Bayer AG, Alfred Nobel-Strasse 50, Monheim, Germany
| | - Bettina Lueke
- Crop Science Division, Bayer AG, Alfred Nobel-Strasse 50, Monheim, Germany
| | - Benjamin Buer
- Crop Science Division, Bayer AG, Alfred Nobel-Strasse 50, Monheim, Germany
| | - Frank Maiwald
- Crop Science Division, Bayer AG, Alfred Nobel-Strasse 50, Monheim, Germany
| | - Michael E. Beck
- Crop Science Division, Bayer AG, Alfred Nobel-Strasse 50, Monheim, Germany
| | - Birgit Nebelsiek
- Crop Science Division, Bayer AG, Alfred Nobel-Strasse 50, Monheim, Germany
| | - Johannes Glaubitz
- Crop Science Division, Bayer AG, Alfred Nobel-Strasse 50, Monheim, Germany
| | - Chris Bass
- College for Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, UK
| | - Ralf Nauen
- Crop Science Division, Bayer AG, Alfred Nobel-Strasse 50, Monheim, Germany
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5
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Validation of quantitative real-time PCR reference genes and spatial expression profiles of detoxication-related genes under pesticide induction in honey bee, Apis mellifera. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0277455. [DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0277455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Recently, pesticides have been suggested to be one of the factors responsible for the large-scale decline in honey bee populations, including colony collapse disorder. The identification of the genes that respond to pesticide exposure based on their expression is essential for understanding the xenobiotic detoxification metabolism in honey bees. For the accurate determination of target gene expression by quantitative real-time PCR, the expression stability of reference genes should be validated in honey bees exposed to various pesticides. Therefore, in this study, to select the optimal reference genes, we analyzed the amplification efficiencies of five candidate reference genes (RPS5, RPS18, GAPDH, ARF1, and RAD1a) and their expression stability values using four programs (geNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper, and RefFinder) across samples of five body parts (head, thorax, gut, fat body, and carcass) from honey bees exposed to seven pesticides (acetamiprid, imidacloprid, flupyradifurone, fenitrothion, carbaryl, amitraz, and bifenthrin). Among these five candidate genes, a combination of RAD1a and RPS18 was suggested for target gene normalization. Subsequently, expression levels of six genes (AChE1, CYP9Q1, CYP9Q2, CYP9Q3, CAT, and SOD1) were normalized with a combination of RAD1a and RPS18 in the different body parts from honey bees exposed to pesticides. Among the six genes in the five body parts, the expression of SOD1 in the head, fat body, and carcass was significantly induced by six pesticides. In addition, among seven pesticides, flupyradifurone statistically induced expression levels of five genes in the fat body.
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Palmer-Young EC, Markowitz LM, Grubbs K, Zhang Y, Corona M, Schwarz R, Chen Y, Evans JD. Antiparasitic effects of three floral volatiles on trypanosomatid infection in honey bees. J Invertebr Pathol 2022; 194:107830. [PMID: 36174749 DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2022.107830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Revised: 08/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Trypanosomatid gut parasites are common in pollinators and costly for social bees. The recently described honey bee trypanosomatid Lotmaria passim is widespread, abundant, and correlated with colony losses in some studies. The potential for amelioration of infection by antimicrobial plant compounds has been thoroughly studied for closely related trypanosomatids of humans and is an area of active research in bumble bees, but remains relatively unexplored in honey bees. We recently identified several floral volatiles that inhibited growth of L. passim in vitro. Here, we tested the dose-dependent effects of four such compounds on infection, mortality, and food consumption in parasite-inoculated honey bees. We found that diets containing the monoterpenoid carvacrol and the phenylpropanoids cinnamaldehyde and eugenol at >10-fold the inhibitory concentrations for cell cultures reduced infection, with parasite numbers decreased by >90% for carvacrol and cinnamaldehyde and >99% for eugenol; effects of the carvacrol isomer thymol were non-significant. However, both carvacrol and eugenol also reduced bee survival, whereas parasite inoculation did not, indicating costs of phytochemical exposure that could exceed those of infection itself. To our knowledge, this is the first controlled screening of phytochemicals for effects on honey bee trypanosomatid infection, identifying potential treatments for managed bees afflicted with a newly characterized, cosmopolitan intestinal parasite.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lindsey M Markowitz
- USDA-ARS Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville, MD, USA; Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Kyle Grubbs
- USDA-ARS Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville, MD, USA
| | - Yi Zhang
- USDA-ARS Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville, MD, USA; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, PR China
| | - Miguel Corona
- USDA-ARS Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville, MD, USA
| | - Ryan Schwarz
- Department of Biology, Fort Lewis College, Durango, CO, USA
| | - Yanping Chen
- USDA-ARS Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville, MD, USA
| | - Jay D Evans
- USDA-ARS Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville, MD, USA
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7
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Fitch G, Figueroa LL, Koch H, Stevenson PC, Adler LS. Understanding effects of floral products on bee parasites: Mechanisms, synergism, and ecological complexity. Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl 2022; 17:244-256. [PMID: 35299588 PMCID: PMC8920997 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2022.02.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Revised: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Floral nectar and pollen commonly contain diverse secondary metabolites. While these compounds are classically thought to play a role in plant defense, recent research indicates that they may also reduce disease in pollinators. Given that parasites have been implicated in ongoing bee declines, this discovery has spurred interest in the potential for 'medicinal' floral products to aid in pollinator conservation efforts. We review the evidence for antiparasitic effects of floral products on bee diseases, emphasizing the importance of investigating the mechanism underlying antiparasitic effects, including direct or host-mediated effects. We discuss the high specificity of antiparasitic effects of even very similar compounds, and highlight the need to consider how nonadditive effects of multiple compounds, and the post-ingestion transformation of metabolites, mediate the disease-reducing capacity of floral products. While the bulk of research on antiparasitic effects of floral products on bee parasites has been conducted in the lab, we review evidence for the impact of such effects in the field, and highlight areas for future research at the floral product-bee disease interface. Such research has great potential both to enhance our understanding of the role of parasites in shaping plant-bee interactions, and the role of plants in determining bee-parasite dynamics. This understanding may in turn reveal new avenues for pollinator conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gordon Fitch
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
- Corresponding author.
| | - Laura L. Figueroa
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
- Department of Environmental Conservation, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
| | - Hauke Koch
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Green, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 3AE, UK
| | - Philip C. Stevenson
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Green, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 3AE, UK
- Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, Kent, ME4 4TB, UK
| | - Lynn S. Adler
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
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8
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Giacomini JJ, Moore N, Adler LS, Irwin RE. Sunflower pollen induces rapid excretion in bumble bees: Implications for host-pathogen interactions. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 137:104356. [PMID: 35016876 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2022.104356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Revised: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Host diet can have a profound effect on host-pathogen interactions, including indirect effects on pathogens mediated through host physiology. In bumble bees (Bombus impatiens), the consumption of sunflower (Helianthus annuus) pollen dramatically reduces infection by the gut protozoan pathogen Crithidia bombi. One hypothesis for the medicinal effect of sunflower pollen is that consumption changes host gut physiological function, causing rapid excretion that flushes C. bombi from the system. We tested the effect of pollen diet and C. bombi infection on gut transit properties using a 2x2 factorial experiment in which bees were infected with C. bombi or not and fed sunflower or wildflower pollen diet. We measured several non-mutually exclusive physiological processes that underlie the insect excretory system, including gut transit time, bi-hourly excretion rate, the total number of excretion events and the total volume of excrement. Sunflower pollen significantly reduced gut transit time in uninfected bees, and increased the total number of excretion events and volume of excrement by 66 % and 68 %, respectively, in both infected and uninfected bees. Here we show that a sunflower pollen diet can affect host physiology gut function, causing more rapid and greater excretion. These results provide important insight into a mechanism that could underlie the medicinal effect of sunflower pollen for bumble bees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan J Giacomini
- Department of Applied Ecology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695 USA.
| | - Nicholas Moore
- Department of Applied Ecology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695 USA
| | - Lynn S Adler
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003 USA
| | - Rebecca E Irwin
- Department of Applied Ecology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695 USA
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9
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Wu Y, Zheng Y, Chen Y, Wang S, Chen Y, Hu F, Zheng H. Honey bee (Apis mellifera) gut microbiota promotes host endogenous detoxification capability via regulation of P450 gene expression in the digestive tract. Microb Biotechnol 2020; 13:1201-1212. [PMID: 32338446 PMCID: PMC7264748 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.13579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2019] [Revised: 03/29/2020] [Accepted: 04/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
There is growing number of studies demonstrating a close relationship between insect gut microbiota and insecticide resistance. However, the contribution of the honey bee gut microbiota to host detoxification ability has yet to be investigated. In order to address this question, we compared the expression of cytochrome P450s (P450s) genes between gut microbiota deficient (GD) workers and conventional gut community (CV) workers and compared the mortality rates and the pesticide residue levels of GD and CV workers treated with thiacloprid or tau-fluvalinate. Our results showed that gut microbiota promotes the expression of P450 enzymes in the midgut, and the mortality rate and pesticide residue levels of GD workers are significantly higher than those of CV workers. Further comparisons between tetracycline-treated workers and untreated workers demonstrated that antibiotic-induced gut dysbiosis leads to attenuated expression of P450s in the midgut. The co-treatment of antibiotics and pesticides leads to reduced survival rate and a significantly higher amount of pesticide residues in honey bees. Taken together, our results demonstrated that honey bee gut symbiont could contribute to bee health through the modification of the host xenobiotics detoxification pathways and revealed a potential negative impact of antibiotics to honey bee detoxification ability and health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuqi Wu
- College of Animal SciencesZhejiang UniversityHangzhouChina
| | - Yufei Zheng
- College of Animal SciencesZhejiang UniversityHangzhouChina
| | - Yanan Chen
- College of Animal SciencesZhejiang UniversityHangzhouChina
| | - Shuai Wang
- College of Animal SciencesZhejiang UniversityHangzhouChina
| | | | - Fuliang Hu
- College of Animal SciencesZhejiang UniversityHangzhouChina
| | - Huoqing Zheng
- College of Animal SciencesZhejiang UniversityHangzhouChina
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10
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Tong L, Nieh JC, Tosi S. Combined nutritional stress and a new systemic pesticide (flupyradifurone, Sivanto®) reduce bee survival, food consumption, flight success, and thermoregulation. CHEMOSPHERE 2019; 237:124408. [PMID: 31356997 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.124408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2019] [Revised: 07/17/2019] [Accepted: 07/18/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Flupyradifurone (FPF, Sivanto®) is a new butenolide insecticide that, like the neonicotinoids, is a systemic nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) agonist. However, FPF is considered bee-safe (according to standard Risk Assessment tests), and is thus a potential solution to the adverse effects of other pesticides on beneficial insects. To date, no studies have examined the impact of nutritional stress (decreased food diversity and quality) and FPF exposure on bee health although both stressors can occur, especially around agricultural monocultures. We therefore tested the effects of a field-realistic FPF concentration (4 ppm, FPFdaily dose = 241 ± 4 ng/bee/day, 1/12 of LD50) and nutritional stress (nectar with low-sugar concentrations) on honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) mortality, food consumption, thermoregulation, flight success (unsuccessful vs. successful), and flight ability (duration, distance, velocity). Flight and thermoregulation are critical to colony health: bees fly to collect food and reproduce, and they thermoregulate to increase flight efficiency and to rear brood. We studied the effects across seasons because seasonality can influence bee sensitivity to environmental stress. We demonstrate that, depending upon season and nutritional stress, FPF can reduce bee survival (-14%), food consumption (-14%), thermoregulation (-4%, i.e. hypothermia), flight success (-19%), and increase flight velocity (+13%). Because pesticide exposure and nutritional stress can co-occur, we suggest that future studies and pesticide risk assessments consider both seasonality and nutritional stress when evaluating pesticide safety for bees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Tong
- University of California, San Diego, Division of Biological Sciences, Section of Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution, 9500 Gilman Drive, MC0116, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0116, USA.
| | - James C Nieh
- University of California, San Diego, Division of Biological Sciences, Section of Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution, 9500 Gilman Drive, MC0116, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0116, USA.
| | - Simone Tosi
- University of California, San Diego, Division of Biological Sciences, Section of Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution, 9500 Gilman Drive, MC0116, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0116, USA; Epidemiology Unit, European Union Reference Laboratory (EURL) for Honeybee Health, University Paris Est, ANSES (French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety) Animal Health Laboratory, 14 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, F94701 Maisons-Alfort, France.
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11
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Coulon M, Schurr F, Martel AC, Cougoule N, Bégaud A, Mangoni P, Di Prisco G, Dalmon A, Alaux C, Ribière-Chabert M, Le Conte Y, Thiéry R, Dubois E. Influence of chronic exposure to thiamethoxam and chronic bee paralysis virus on winter honey bees. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0220703. [PMID: 31415597 PMCID: PMC6695216 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0220703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2018] [Accepted: 07/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Co-exposure to pesticides and viruses is likely to occur in honey bee colonies. Pesticides can be present in pollen, nectar, and persist in stored food (honey and bee bread), and viruses can be highly prevalent in honey bee colonies. Therefore, the present study describes the influence of chronic co-exposure to thiamethoxam and Chronic bee paralysis virus (CBPV) on bee survival, virus loads, expression level of immune and detoxication genes, and pesticide metabolism Experiments were performed on honey bees collected from a winter apiary with reduced viral contaminations. No synergistic effect of co-exposure was observed on bee survival, nor on the ability of bees to metabolise the pesticide into clothianidin. However, we found that co-exposure caused an increase in CBPV loads that reached the viral levels usually found in overt infections. The effect of co-exposure on CBPV replication was associated with down-regulation of vitellogenin and dorsal-1a gene transcription. Nevertheless, the observed effects might be different to those occurring in spring or summer bees, which are more likelyco-exposed to thiamethoxam and CBPV and exhibit a different physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianne Coulon
- ANSES Sophia Antipolis, Unit of Honey bee Pathology, Sophia Antipolis, France
- INRA PACA, UR 406 Abeilles et Environnement, Avignon, France
| | - Frank Schurr
- ANSES Sophia Antipolis, Unit of Honey bee Pathology, Sophia Antipolis, France
| | - Anne-Claire Martel
- ANSES Sophia Antipolis, Unit of Honey bee Pathology, Sophia Antipolis, France
| | - Nicolas Cougoule
- ANSES Sophia Antipolis, Unit of Honey bee Pathology, Sophia Antipolis, France
| | - Adrien Bégaud
- ANSES Sophia Antipolis, Unit of Honey bee Pathology, Sophia Antipolis, France
| | - Patrick Mangoni
- ANSES Sophia Antipolis, Unit of Honey bee Pathology, Sophia Antipolis, France
| | - Gennaro Di Prisco
- University of Napoli “Federico II”—Department of Agriculture, Portici, Napoli, Italy
- CREA, Council for Agricultural Research and Economics—Research Center for Agriculture and Environment, Bologna, Italy
| | - Anne Dalmon
- INRA PACA, UR 406 Abeilles et Environnement, Avignon, France
| | - Cédric Alaux
- INRA PACA, UR 406 Abeilles et Environnement, Avignon, France
| | | | - Yves Le Conte
- INRA PACA, UR 406 Abeilles et Environnement, Avignon, France
| | - Richard Thiéry
- ANSES Sophia Antipolis, Unit of Honey bee Pathology, Sophia Antipolis, France
| | - Eric Dubois
- ANSES Sophia Antipolis, Unit of Honey bee Pathology, Sophia Antipolis, France
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12
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Saremba BM, Murch SJ, Tymm FJM, Rheault MR. The metabolic fate of dietary nicotine in the cabbage looper, Trichoplusia ni (Hübner). JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2018; 109:1-10. [PMID: 29859839 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2018.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2018] [Revised: 05/25/2018] [Accepted: 05/28/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Cabbage looper (Trichoplusia ni) larvae are generalist herbivores that feed on numerous cultivated plants and weeds including crucifers, other vegetables, flowers, and field crops. Consuming plant material from a wide range of plant species exposes these larvae to a considerable variety of plant secondary metabolites involved in chemical defense against herbivory. The ability of the cabbage looper larvae to detoxify plant secondary metabolites, such as nicotine, has been attributed to the rapid induction of excretion via the Malpighian tubules. However, the role of metabolism in the detoxification of plant secondary metabolites in cabbage looper larvae is not well studied. We investigated nicotine metabolism in 4th larval instar cabbage looper using UPLC-MS/MS analysis to resolve the time course of nicotine metabolism, the kinetic distribution of nicotine, and the presence or absence of major metabolites of nicotine in larval tissue and excretions. The major metabolite found in our analysis was cotinine, with trace amounts of cotinine N-oxide and nicotine N-oxide. The nicotine metabolites detected are similar to those of the nicotine-tolerant Lepidopteran tobacco hornworm (Manduca sexta). The results of our study demonstrate that the 5'C-oxidation of nicotine to cotinine is the primary pathway for nicotine metabolism in cabbage looper larvae. This study showed that metabolism of nicotine and subsequent excretion of nicotine and its metabolites occurs in the larvae of the cabbage looper. Our results suggest that 5'C-oxidation in lepidopteran insects is a conserved metabolic pathway for the detoxification of plant secondary metabolites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brett M Saremba
- Department of Biology, The University of British Columbia, 3187 University Way, Kelowna, British Columbia V1V 1V7, Canada
| | - Susan J Murch
- Department of Chemistry, The University of British Columbia, 3247 University Way, Kelowna, British Columbia V1V 1V7, Canada.
| | - Fiona J M Tymm
- Department of Chemistry, The University of British Columbia, 3247 University Way, Kelowna, British Columbia V1V 1V7, Canada
| | - Mark R Rheault
- Department of Biology, The University of British Columbia, 3187 University Way, Kelowna, British Columbia V1V 1V7, Canada.
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Coulon M, Schurr F, Martel AC, Cougoule N, Bégaud A, Mangoni P, Dalmon A, Alaux C, Le Conte Y, Thiéry R, Ribière-Chabert M, Dubois E. Metabolisation of thiamethoxam (a neonicotinoid pesticide) and interaction with the Chronic bee paralysis virus in honeybees. PESTICIDE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY 2018; 144:10-18. [PMID: 29463403 DOI: 10.1016/j.pestbp.2017.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2017] [Revised: 10/16/2017] [Accepted: 10/21/2017] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Pathogens and pesticides are likely to co-occur in honeybee hives, but much remains to be investigated regarding their potential interactions. Here, we first investigated the metabolisation kinetics of thiamethoxam in chronically fed honeybees. We show that thiamethoxam, at a dose of 0.25ng/bee/day, is quickly and effectively metabolised into clothianidin, throughout a 20day exposure period. Using a similar chronic exposure to pesticide, we then studied, in a separate experiment, the impact of thiamethoxam and Chronic bee paralysis virus (CBPV) co-exposure in honeybees. The honeybees were exposed to the virus by contact, mimicking the natural transmission route in the hive. We demonstrate that a high dose of thiamethoxam (5.0ng/bee/day) can cause a synergistic increase in mortality in co-exposed honeybees after 8 to 10days of exposure, with no increase in viral loads. At a lower dose (2.5ng/bee/day), there was no synergistic increase of mortality, but viral loads were significantly higher in naturally dead honeybees, compared with sacrificed honeybees exposed to the same conditions. These results show that the interactions between pathogens and pesticides in honeybees can be complex: increasing pesticide doses may not necessarily be linked to a rise in viral loads, suggesting that honeybee tolerance to the viral infection might change with pesticide exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Coulon
- ANSES Sophia Antipolis, Unit of Honeybee Pathology, 105, Route des Chappes, 06902 Sophia-Antipolis, France; INRA PACA, UR 406 Abeilles et Environnement, Site Agroparc, 84914 Avignon, France.
| | - F Schurr
- ANSES Sophia Antipolis, Unit of Honeybee Pathology, 105, Route des Chappes, 06902 Sophia-Antipolis, France
| | - A-C Martel
- ANSES Sophia Antipolis, Unit of Honeybee Pathology, 105, Route des Chappes, 06902 Sophia-Antipolis, France
| | - N Cougoule
- ANSES Sophia Antipolis, Unit of Honeybee Pathology, 105, Route des Chappes, 06902 Sophia-Antipolis, France
| | - A Bégaud
- ANSES Sophia Antipolis, Unit of Honeybee Pathology, 105, Route des Chappes, 06902 Sophia-Antipolis, France
| | - P Mangoni
- ANSES Sophia Antipolis, Unit of Honeybee Pathology, 105, Route des Chappes, 06902 Sophia-Antipolis, France
| | - A Dalmon
- INRA PACA, UR 406 Abeilles et Environnement, Site Agroparc, 84914 Avignon, France
| | - C Alaux
- INRA PACA, UR 406 Abeilles et Environnement, Site Agroparc, 84914 Avignon, France
| | - Y Le Conte
- INRA PACA, UR 406 Abeilles et Environnement, Site Agroparc, 84914 Avignon, France
| | - R Thiéry
- ANSES Sophia Antipolis, Unit of Honeybee Pathology, 105, Route des Chappes, 06902 Sophia-Antipolis, France
| | - M Ribière-Chabert
- ANSES Sophia Antipolis, Unit of Honeybee Pathology, 105, Route des Chappes, 06902 Sophia-Antipolis, France
| | - E Dubois
- ANSES Sophia Antipolis, Unit of Honeybee Pathology, 105, Route des Chappes, 06902 Sophia-Antipolis, France.
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Barlow SE, Wright GA, Ma C, Barberis M, Farrell IW, Marr EC, Brankin A, Pavlik BM, Stevenson PC. Distasteful Nectar Deters Floral Robbery. Curr Biol 2017; 27:2552-2558.e3. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2017] [Revised: 05/23/2017] [Accepted: 07/04/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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15
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du Rand EE, Human H, Smit S, Beukes M, Apostolides Z, Nicolson SW, Pirk CWW. Proteomic and metabolomic analysis reveals rapid and extensive nicotine detoxification ability in honey bee larvae. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2017; 82:41-51. [PMID: 28161469 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2017.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2016] [Revised: 01/27/2017] [Accepted: 01/28/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Despite potential links between pesticides and bee declines, toxicology information on honey bee larvae (Apis mellifera) is scarce and detoxification mechanisms in this development stage are virtually unknown. Larvae are exposed to natural and synthetic toxins present in pollen and nectar through consumption of brood food. Due to the characteristic intensive brood care displayed by honey bees, which includes progressive feeding throughout larval development, it is generally assumed that larvae rely on adults to detoxify for them and exhibit a diminished detoxification ability. We found the opposite. We examined the proteomic and metabolomic responses of in vitro reared larvae fed nicotine (an alkaloid found in nectar and pollen) to understand how larvae cope on a metabolic level with dietary toxins. Larvae were able to effectively detoxify nicotine through an inducible detoxification mechanism. A coordinated stress response complemented the detoxification processes, and we detected significant enrichment of proteins functioning in energy and carbohydrate metabolism, as well as in development pathways, suggesting that nicotine may promote larval growth. Further exploration of the metabolic fate of nicotine using targeted mass spectrometry analysis demonstrated that, as in adult bees, formation of 4-hydroxy-4-(3-pyridyl) butanoic acid, the result of 2'C-oxidation of nicotine, is quantitatively the most significant pathway of nicotine metabolism. We provide conclusive evidence that larvae are capable of effectively catabolising a dietary toxin, suggesting that increased larval sensitivity to specific toxins is not due to diminished detoxification abilities. These findings broaden the current understanding of detoxification biochemistry at different organizational levels in the colony, bringing us closer to understanding the capacity of the colony as a superorganism to tolerate and resist toxic compounds, including pesticides, in the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esther E du Rand
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield 0028, South Africa; Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield 0028, South Africa.
| | - Hannelie Human
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield 0028, South Africa.
| | - Salome Smit
- Proteomics Unit, Central Analytical Facility, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Matieland 7602, South Africa.
| | - Mervyn Beukes
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield 0028, South Africa.
| | - Zeno Apostolides
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield 0028, South Africa.
| | - Susan W Nicolson
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield 0028, South Africa.
| | - Christian W W Pirk
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield 0028, South Africa.
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