1
|
Provase M, Schmitz Boeing GAN, Tsukada E, Salla RF, Abdalla FC. Impact of environmental concentrations of fipronil on DNA integrity and brain structure of Bombus atratus bumblebees. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND PHARMACOLOGY 2024; 110:104536. [PMID: 39153725 DOI: 10.1016/j.etap.2024.104536] [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: 06/21/2024] [Revised: 08/09/2024] [Accepted: 08/13/2024] [Indexed: 08/19/2024]
Abstract
Fipronil (FP) is an insecticide used in the treatment and control of pests, but it also adversely affects bees. Currently, there is no data on the genotoxic effects of FP in the brain of bumblebees. Thus, through the comet assay and routine morphological analysis, we analyzed the morphological effects and potential genotoxicity of environmentally relevant concentrations of FP on the brain of Bombus atratus. Bumblebees were exposed at concentrations of 2.5 μg/g and 3.5 μg/g for 96 hours. After the exposure, the brains were removed for morphological and morphometric analysis, and the comet assay procedure - used to detect DNA damage in individual cells using electrophoresis. Our data showed that both concentrations (2.5 μg/g and 3.5 μg/g) caused DNA damage in brain cells. These results corroborate the morphological data. We observed signs of synapse loss in the calyx structure, intercellular spaces between compact inner and non-compact inner cells, and cell swelling. This study provides unprecedented evidence of the effects of FP on DNA and cellular structures in the brain of B. atratus and reinforces the need to elucidate its toxic effects on other species to allow future risk assessments and conservation projects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michele Provase
- Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), Department of Biology (DBio), Laboratory of Structural and Functional Biology (LABEF), Brazil; Post-graduate Program in Biotechnology and Environmental Monitoring (PPGBMA), Center for Science and Technology for Sustainability (CCTS), UFSCar, Sorocaba, SP, Brazil.
| | - Guilherme Andrade Neto Schmitz Boeing
- Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), Department of Biology (DBio), Laboratory of Structural and Functional Biology (LABEF), Brazil; Post-graduate Program in Biotechnology and Environmental Monitoring (PPGBMA), Center for Science and Technology for Sustainability (CCTS), UFSCar, Sorocaba, SP, Brazil
| | - Elisabete Tsukada
- Post-graduate Program in Biotechnology and Environmental Monitoring (PPGBMA), Center for Science and Technology for Sustainability (CCTS), UFSCar, Sorocaba, SP, Brazil
| | - Raquel Fernanda Salla
- Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), Department of Biology (DBio), Laboratory of Structural and Functional Biology (LABEF), Brazil; Post-graduate Program in Biotechnology and Environmental Monitoring (PPGBMA), Center for Science and Technology for Sustainability (CCTS), UFSCar, Sorocaba, SP, Brazil
| | - Fábio Camargo Abdalla
- Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), Department of Biology (DBio), Laboratory of Structural and Functional Biology (LABEF), Brazil; Post-graduate Program in Biotechnology and Environmental Monitoring (PPGBMA), Center for Science and Technology for Sustainability (CCTS), UFSCar, Sorocaba, SP, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Lima YS, de Castro Lippi IC, da Luz Scheffer J, Lunardi JS, Alvarez MVN, Kadri SM, de Oliveira Orsi R. Food contamination with fipronil alters gene expression associated with foraging in Africanized honey bees. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2024; 31:52267-52278. [PMID: 39145909 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-34695-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2024] [Accepted: 08/08/2024] [Indexed: 08/16/2024]
Abstract
Taking into consideration that bees can be contaminated by pesticides through the ingestion of contaminated floral resources, we can utilize genetic techniques to assess effects that are scarcely observed in behavioral studies. This study aimed to investigate the genetic effects of ingesting lethal and sublethal doses of the insecticide fipronil in foraging honey bees during two periods of acute exposure. Bees were exposed to fipronil through contaminated honey syrup at two dosages (LD50 = 0.19 µg/bee; LD50/100 = 0.0019 µg/bee) and for two durations (1 and 4 h). Following exposure, we measured syrup consumption per bee, analyzed the transcriptome of bee brain tissue, and identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs), categorizing them functionally based on gene ontology (GO). The results revealed a significant genetic response in honey bees after exposure to fipronil, regardless of the dosage used. Fipronil affected various metabolic, transport, and cellular regulation pathways, as well as detoxification processes and xenobiotic substance detection. Additionally, the downregulation of several DEGs belonging to the olfactory-binding protein (OBP) family was observed, suggesting potential physiological alterations in bees that may lead to disoriented behaviors and reduced foraging efficiency.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yan Souza Lima
- Center of Education, Science and Technology in Rational Beekeeping (NECTAR), College of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, São Paulo State University, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Isabella Cristina de Castro Lippi
- Center of Education, Science and Technology in Rational Beekeeping (NECTAR), College of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, São Paulo State University, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Jaine da Luz Scheffer
- Center of Education, Science and Technology in Rational Beekeeping (NECTAR), College of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, São Paulo State University, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Juliana Sartori Lunardi
- Center of Education, Science and Technology in Rational Beekeeping (NECTAR), College of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, São Paulo State University, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Samir Moura Kadri
- Center of Education, Science and Technology in Rational Beekeeping (NECTAR), College of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, São Paulo State University, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ricardo de Oliveira Orsi
- Center of Education, Science and Technology in Rational Beekeeping (NECTAR), College of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, São Paulo State University, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Lin Z, Shen S, Wang K, Ji T. Biotic and abiotic stresses on honeybee health. Integr Zool 2024; 19:442-457. [PMID: 37427560 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
Honeybees are the most critical pollinators providing key ecosystem services that underpin crop production and sustainable agriculture. Amidst a backdrop of rapid global change, this eusocial insect encounters a succession of stressors during nesting, foraging, and pollination. Ectoparasitic mites, together with vectored viruses, have been recognized as central biotic threats to honeybee health, while the spread of invasive giant hornets and small hive beetles also increasingly threatens colonies worldwide. Cocktails of agrochemicals, including acaricides used for mite treatment, and other pollutants of the environment have been widely documented to affect bee health in various ways. Additionally, expanding urbanization, climate change, and agricultural intensification often result in the destruction or fragmentation of flower-rich bee habitats. The anthropogenic pressures exerted by beekeeping management practices affect the natural selection and evolution of honeybees, and colony translocations facilitate alien species invasion and disease transmission. In this review, the multiple biotic and abiotic threats and their interactions that potentially undermine bee colony health are discussed, while taking into consideration the sensitivity, large foraging area, dense network among related nestmates, and social behaviors of honeybees.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zheguang Lin
- Apicultural Research Institute, College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Siyi Shen
- Apicultural Research Institute, College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Kang Wang
- Apicultural Research Institute, College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Ting Ji
- Apicultural Research Institute, College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Fischer N, Costa CP, Hur M, Kirkwood JS, Woodard SH. Impacts of neonicotinoid insecticides on bumble bee energy metabolism are revealed under nectar starvation. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 912:169388. [PMID: 38104805 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169388] [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: 05/05/2023] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Bumble bees are an important group of insects that provide essential pollination services as a consequence of their foraging behaviors. These pollination services are driven, in part, by energetic exchanges between flowering plants and individual bees. Thus, it is important to examine bumble bee energy metabolism and explore how it might be influenced by external stressors contributing to declines in global pollinator populations. Two stressors that are commonly encountered by bees are insecticides, such as the neonicotinoids, and nutritional stress, resulting from deficits in pollen and nectar availability. Our study uses a metabolomic approach to examine the effects of neonicotinoid insecticide exposure on bumble bee metabolism, both alone and in combination with nutritional stress. We hypothesized that exposure to imidacloprid disrupts bumble bee energy metabolism, leading to changes in key metabolites involved in central carbon metabolism. We tested this by exposing Bombus impatiens workers to imidacloprid according to one of three exposure paradigms designed to explore how chronic versus more acute (early or late) imidacloprid exposure influences energy metabolite levels, then also subjecting them to artificial nectar starvation. The strongest effects of imidacloprid were observed when bees also experienced nectar starvation, suggesting a combinatorial effect of neonicotinoids and nutritional stress on bumble bee energy metabolism. Overall, this study provides important insights into the mechanisms underlying the impact of neonicotinoid insecticides on pollinators, and underscores the need for further investigation into the complex interactions between environmental stressors and energy metabolism.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Natalie Fischer
- Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA.
| | - Claudinéia P Costa
- Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Manhoi Hur
- IIGB Metabolomics Core Facility, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Jay S Kirkwood
- IIGB Metabolomics Core Facility, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - S Hollis Woodard
- Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Pons DG, Herrera C, Torrens-Mas M, Leza M, Sastre-Serra J. Sublethal doses of glyphosate modulates mitochondria and oxidative stress in honeybees by direct feeding. ARCHIVES OF INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 114:e22028. [PMID: 37259187 DOI: 10.1002/arch.22028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Honeybees are essential for the ecosystem maintenance and for plant production in agriculture. Glyphosate is a broad-spectrum systemic herbicide widely used in crops to control weeds and could affect honeybees' health in sublethal doses. Our aim was to study how sublethal doses of glyphosate affects to oxidative stress and mitochondrial homeostasis in honeybees. We exposed honeybees to glyphosate at 5 and 10 mg·l-1 for 2 and 10 h for the gene expression analysis by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and for 48 and 72 h for the antioxidant enzymes activity and lipid peroxidation determination. We observed a general increase in antioxidant- and mitochondrial-related genes expression in honeybees after 2 h of exposition to glyphosate, as well as a rise in catalase and superoxide dismutase enzymatic activity after 48 h and an increment in lipid peroxidation adducts generation after 72 h. These results suggest a direct effect of glyphosate on honeybees' health, with an insufficient response of the antioxidant system to the generated oxidative stress, resulting in an increase in lipid peroxidation and, therefore, oxidative damage. Altogether, results obtained in this work demonstrate that sublethal treatments of glyphosate could directly affect honeybee individuals under laboratory conditions. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate alternatives to glyphosate to determine if they are less harmful to non-target organisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Gabriel Pons
- Grupo Multidisciplinar de Oncología Traslacional, Institut Universitari d´Investigació en Ciències de la Salut (IUNICS), University of the Balearic Islands, Palma de Mallorca, Illes Balears, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de las Islas Baleares (IdISBa), Hospital Universitario Son Espases, edificio S, Palma de Mallorca, Illes Balears, Spain
| | - Cayetano Herrera
- Department of Biology (Zoology), University of the Balearic Islands, Palma, Balearic Islands, Spain
| | - Margalida Torrens-Mas
- Grupo Multidisciplinar de Oncología Traslacional, Institut Universitari d´Investigació en Ciències de la Salut (IUNICS), University of the Balearic Islands, Palma de Mallorca, Illes Balears, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de las Islas Baleares (IdISBa), Hospital Universitario Son Espases, edificio S, Palma de Mallorca, Illes Balears, Spain
- Translational Research In Aging and Longevity (TRIAL) Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands (IdISBa), Palma de Mallorca, Spain
| | - Mar Leza
- Department of Biology (Zoology), University of the Balearic Islands, Palma, Balearic Islands, Spain
| | - Jorge Sastre-Serra
- Grupo Multidisciplinar de Oncología Traslacional, Institut Universitari d´Investigació en Ciències de la Salut (IUNICS), University of the Balearic Islands, Palma de Mallorca, Illes Balears, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de las Islas Baleares (IdISBa), Hospital Universitario Son Espases, edificio S, Palma de Mallorca, Illes Balears, Spain
- Ciber Fisiopatología Obesidad y Nutrición (CB06/03) Instituto Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Martín-Blázquez R, Calhoun AC, Sadd BM, Cameron SA. Gene expression in bumble bee larvae differs qualitatively between high and low concentration imidacloprid exposure levels. Sci Rep 2023; 13:9415. [PMID: 37296299 PMCID: PMC10256756 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-36232-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Neonicotinoid pesticides negatively impact bumble bee health, even at sublethal concentrations. Responses to the neonicotinoid imidacloprid have been studied largely at individual adult and colony levels, focusing mostly on behavioral and physiological effects. Data from developing larvae, whose health is critical for colony success, are deficient, particularly at the molecular level where transcriptomes can reveal disruption of fundamental biological pathways. We investigated gene expression of Bombus impatiens larvae exposed through food provisions to two field-realistic imidacloprid concentrations (0.7 and 7.0 ppb). We hypothesized both concentrations would alter gene expression, but the higher concentration would have greater qualitative and quantitative effects. We found 678 genes differentially expressed under both imidacloprid exposures relative to controls, including mitochondrial activity, development, and DNA replication genes. However, more genes were differentially expressed with higher imidacloprid exposure; uniquely differentially expressed genes included starvation response and cuticle genes. The former may partially result from reduced pollen use, monitored to verify food provision use and provide additional context to results. A smaller differentially expressed set only in lower concentration larvae, included neural development and cell growth genes. Our findings show varying molecular consequences under different field-realistic neonicotinoid concentrations, and that even low concentrations may affect fundamental biological processes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rubén Martín-Blázquez
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Isla de la Cartuja, Seville, Spain.
| | - Austin C Calhoun
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL, USA
| | - Ben M Sadd
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL, USA
| | - Sydney A Cameron
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| |
Collapse
|