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Ustaoglu P, McQuarrie DWJ, Rochet A, Dix TC, Haussmann IU, Arnold R, Devaud JM, Soller M. Memory consolidation in honey bees is enhanced by down-regulation of Down syndrome cell adhesion molecule and changes its alternative splicing. Front Mol Neurosci 2024; 16:1322808. [PMID: 38264345 PMCID: PMC10803435 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1322808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Down syndrome cell adhesion molecule (Dscam) gene encodes a cell adhesion molecule required for neuronal wiring. A remarkable feature of arthropod Dscam is massive alternative splicing generating thousands of different isoforms from three variable clusters of alternative exons. Dscam expression and diversity arising from alternative splicing have been studied during development, but whether they exert functions in adult brains has not been determined. Here, using honey bees, we find that Dscam expression is critically linked to memory retention as reducing expression by RNAi enhances memory after reward learning in adult worker honey bees. Moreover, alternative splicing of Dscam is altered in all three variable clusters after learning. Since identical Dscam isoforms engage in homophilic interactions, these results suggest a mechanism to alter inclusion of variable exons during memory consolidation to modify neuronal connections for memory retention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pinar Ustaoglu
- School of Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- Birmingham Centre for Genome Biology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - David W. J. McQuarrie
- School of Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- Birmingham Centre for Genome Biology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Anthony Rochet
- Research Center on Animal Cognition (CRCA), Center for Integrative Biology (CBI), CNRS, UPS, Toulouse University, Toulouse, France
| | - Thomas C. Dix
- School of Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- Birmingham Centre for Genome Biology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Irmgard U. Haussmann
- School of Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- Department of Life Science, Faculty of Health, Education and Life Sciences, Birmingham City University, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Roland Arnold
- Birmingham Centre for Genome Biology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- College of Medical and Dental Sciences, Institute of Cancer and Genomics Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Jean-Marc Devaud
- Research Center on Animal Cognition (CRCA), Center for Integrative Biology (CBI), CNRS, UPS, Toulouse University, Toulouse, France
- Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), Paris, France
| | - Matthias Soller
- School of Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- Birmingham Centre for Genome Biology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
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2
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Miotelo L, Ferro M, Maloni G, Otero IVR, Nocelli RCF, Bacci M, Malaspina O. Transcriptomic analysis of Malpighian tubules from the stingless bee Melipona scutellaris reveals thiamethoxam-induced damages. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 850:158086. [PMID: 35985603 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158086] [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: 06/08/2022] [Revised: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The concern about pesticide exposure to neotropical bees has been increasing in the last few years, and knowledge gaps have been identified. Although stingless bees, (e.g.: Melipona scutellaris), are more diverse than honeybees and they stand out in the pollination of several valuable economical crops, toxicity assessments with stingless bees are still scarce. Nowadays new approaches in ecotoxicological studies, such as omic analysis, were pointed out as a strategy to reveal mechanisms of how bees deal with these stressors. To date, no molecular techniques have been applied for the evaluation of target and/or non-target organs in stingless bees, such as the Malpighian tubules (Mt). Therefore, in the present study, we evaluated the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the Mt of M. scutellaris after one and eight days of exposure to LC50/100 (0.000543 ng a.i./μL) of thiamethoxam (TMX). Through functional annotation analysis of four transcriptome libraries, the time course line approach revealed 237 DEGs (nine clusters) associated with carbon/energy metabolism and cellular processes (lysosomes, autophagy, and glycan degradation). The expression profiles of Mt were altered by TMX in processes, such as detoxification, excretion, tissue regeneration, oxidative stress, apoptosis, and DNA repair. Transcriptome analysis showed that cell metabolism in Mt was mainly affected after 8 days of exposure. Nine genes were selected from different clusters and validated by RT-qPCR. According to our findings, TMX promotes several types of damage in Mt cells at the molecular level. Therefore, interference of different cellular processes directly affects the health of M. scutellaris by compromising the function of Mt.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Miotelo
- Department of General and Applied Biology, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Rio Claro, SP, Brazil.
| | - Milene Ferro
- Department of General and Applied Biology, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Rio Claro, SP, Brazil
| | - Geovana Maloni
- Department of General and Applied Biology, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Rio Claro, SP, Brazil
| | - Igor Vinicius Ramos Otero
- Department of General and Applied Biology, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Rio Claro, SP, Brazil
| | | | - Mauricio Bacci
- Department of General and Applied Biology, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Rio Claro, SP, Brazil
| | - Osmar Malaspina
- Department of General and Applied Biology, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Rio Claro, SP, Brazil
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3
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Dix TC, Haussmann IU, Brivio S, Nallasivan MP, HadzHiev Y, Müller F, Müller B, Pettitt J, Soller M. CMTr mediated 2'- O-ribose methylation status of cap-adjacent nucleotides across animals. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2022; 28:1377-1390. [PMID: 35970556 PMCID: PMC9479742 DOI: 10.1261/rna.079317.122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Cap methyltransferases (CMTrs) O methylate the 2' position of the ribose (cOMe) of cap-adjacent nucleotides of animal, protist, and viral mRNAs. Animals generally have two CMTrs, whereas trypanosomes have three, and many viruses encode one in their genome. In the splice leader of mRNAs in trypanosomes, the first four nucleotides contain cOMe, but little is known about the status of cOMe in animals. Here, we show that cOMe is prominently present on the first two cap-adjacent nucleotides with species- and tissue-specific variations in Caenorhabditis elegans, honeybees, zebrafish, mouse, and human cell lines. In contrast, Drosophila contains cOMe primarily on the first cap-adjacent nucleotide. De novo RoseTTA modeling of CMTrs reveals close similarities of the overall structure and near identity for the catalytic tetrad, and for cap and cofactor binding for human, Drosophila and C. elegans CMTrs. Although viral CMTrs maintain the overall structure and catalytic tetrad, they have diverged in cap and cofactor binding. Consistent with the structural similarity, both CMTrs from Drosophila and humans methylate the first cap-adjacent nucleotide of an AGU consensus start. Because the second nucleotide is also methylated upon heat stress in Drosophila, these findings argue for regulated cOMe important for gene expression regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas C Dix
- School of Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, United Kingdom
- Birmingham Centre for Genome Biology, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, United Kingdom
| | - Irmgard U Haussmann
- Department of Life Science, Faculty of Health, Education and Life Sciences, Birmingham City University, Birmingham, B15 3TN, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah Brivio
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, United Kingdom
| | - Mohannakarthik P Nallasivan
- School of Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, United Kingdom
- Birmingham Centre for Genome Biology, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, United Kingdom
| | - Yavor HadzHiev
- Birmingham Centre for Genome Biology, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, United Kingdom
- School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZD, United Kingdom
| | - Ferenc Müller
- Birmingham Centre for Genome Biology, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, United Kingdom
- School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZD, United Kingdom
| | - Berndt Müller
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan Pettitt
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, United Kingdom
| | - Matthias Soller
- School of Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, United Kingdom
- Birmingham Centre for Genome Biology, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, United Kingdom
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Sales VR, Azevedo P, Zucchi MI, Nocelli RCF. A systematic review of research conducted by pioneer groups in ecotoxicological studies with bees in Brazil: advances and perspectives. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 29:62711-62732. [PMID: 35793026 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-21609-9] [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: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Brazil presents the most threatened endemic or rare species among neotropical regions, with the Hymenoptera order, to which bees belong, classified as a high-risk category. In Brazil, the main cause of bee death is the indiscriminate use of pesticides. In this context, groups such as Bee Ecotoxicology and Conservation Laboratory (LECA in Portuguese) and Bees and Environmental Services (ASAs in Portuguese) have become a reference in studies evaluating the impacts of pesticides on bees since 1976. Thus, the objective of this review was to conduct a quantitative and qualitative review of the studies conducted by these groups to evaluate and compile the advances made over the years, identify potential knowledge gaps for future studies, and support the sensitivities of stingless bees when compared to the species Apis mellifera. The quantitative analyses showed that most studies were carried out in the genus Apis, under laboratory conditions. However, more recently (since 2003), studies have also focused on stingless bees and the neonicotinoid class of insecticides. The most relevant gaps identified were the lack of studies under field conditions and on bee biology. The qualitative analyses indicated that Brazilian stingless bees are more susceptible to pesticides than A. mellifera and require a much lower average dose, concentration, or lethal time to display morphological and behavioral damage or decreased lifespan. Thus, future studies should work towards establishing more representative protocols for stingless bees. Furthermore, public policies must be created for the protection and conservation of bees native to Brazil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor Ribeiro Sales
- Departamento de Ciências da Natureza, Matemática e Educação, Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar), Rodovia Anhanguera, Km 174, Araras, SP, 13600-970, Brazil
| | - Patricia Azevedo
- Instituto de Biologia, Grupo de Genética E Genômica da Conservação, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Rodovia SP 127, km 30, Piracicaba, SP, 13412-050, Brazil.
| | - Maria Imaculada Zucchi
- Agência Paulista de Tecnologia Dos Agronegócios (APTA) - Polo Centro Sul - Piracicaba, São Paulo, CEP, 13400-970, Brazil
| | - Roberta Cornélio Ferreira Nocelli
- Departamento de Ciências da Natureza, Matemática e Educação, Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar), Rodovia Anhanguera, Km 174, Araras, SP, 13600-970, Brazil
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5
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Wang K, Chen H, Fan RL, Lin ZG, Niu QS, Wang Z, Ji T. Effect of carbendazim on honey bee health: Assessment of survival, pollen consumption, and gut microbiome composition. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2022; 239:113648. [PMID: 35605324 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.113648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Revised: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Gut microbiota and nutrition play major roles in honey bee health. Recent reports have shown that pesticides can disrupt the gut microbiota and cause malnutrition in honey bees. Carbendazim is the most commonly used fungicide in China, but it is not clear whether carbendazim negatively affects the gut microbes and nutrient intake levels in honey bees. To address this research gap, we assessed the effects of carbendazim on the survival, pollen consumption, and sequenced 16 S rRNA gene to determine the bacterial composition in the midgut and hindgut. Our results suggest that carbendazim exposure does not cause acute death in honey bees even at high concentrations (5000 mg/L), which are extremely unlikely to exist under field conditions. Carbendazim does not disturb the microbiome composition in the gut of young worker bees during gut microbial colonization and adult worker bees with established gut communities in the mid and hindgut. However, carbendazim exposure significantly decreases pollen consumption in honey bees. Thus, exposure of bees to carbendazim can perturb their beneficial nutrition homeostasis, potentially reducing honey bee immunity and increasing their susceptibility to infection by pathogens, which influence effectiveness as pollinators, even colony health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kang Wang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, 225009, China
| | - Heng Chen
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, 225009, China
| | - Rong-Li Fan
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, 225009, China
| | - Zhe-Guang Lin
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, 225009, China
| | - Qing-Sheng Niu
- Key Laboratory for Bee Genetics and Breeding, Jilin Provincial Institute of Apicultural Sciences, Jilin Province 132108, China
| | - Zhi Wang
- Key Laboratory for Bee Genetics and Breeding, Jilin Provincial Institute of Apicultural Sciences, Jilin Province 132108, China
| | - Ting Ji
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, 225009, China.
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Ustaoglu P, Gill JK, Doubovetzky N, Haussmann IU, Dix TC, Arnold R, Devaud JM, Soller M. Dynamically expressed single ELAV/Hu orthologue elavl2 of bees is required for learning and memory. Commun Biol 2021; 4:1234. [PMID: 34711922 PMCID: PMC8553928 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02763-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 10/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Changes in gene expression are a hallmark of learning and memory consolidation. Little is known about how alternative mRNA processing, particularly abundant in neuron-specific genes, contributes to these processes. Prototype RNA binding proteins of the neuronally expressed ELAV/Hu family are candidates for roles in learning and memory, but their capacity to cross-regulate and take over each other's functions complicate substantiation of such links. Honey bees Apis mellifera have only one elav/Hu family gene elavl2, that has functionally diversified by increasing alternative splicing including an evolutionary conserved microexon. RNAi knockdown demonstrates that ELAVL2 is required for learning and memory in bees. ELAVL2 is dynamically expressed with altered alternative splicing and subcellular localization in mushroom bodies, but not in other brain regions. Expression and alternative splicing of elavl2 change during memory consolidation illustrating an alternative mRNA processing program as part of a local gene expression response underlying memory consolidation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pinar Ustaoglu
- School of Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
- Birmingham Centre for Genome Biology, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Jatinder Kaur Gill
- School of Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Nicolas Doubovetzky
- Research Center on Animal Cognition (CRCA), Center for Integrative Biology (CBI), Toulouse University, CNRS, UPS, Toulouse, 31062, France
| | - Irmgard U Haussmann
- School of Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
- Department of Life Science, Faculty of Health, Education and Life Sciences, Birmingham City University, Birmingham, B15 3TN, UK
| | - Thomas C Dix
- School of Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
- Birmingham Centre for Genome Biology, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Roland Arnold
- Birmingham Centre for Genome Biology, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
- Institute of Cancer and Genomics Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Jean-Marc Devaud
- Research Center on Animal Cognition (CRCA), Center for Integrative Biology (CBI), Toulouse University, CNRS, UPS, Toulouse, 31062, France
| | - Matthias Soller
- School of Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.
- Institute of Cancer and Genomics Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.
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Johnson ZT, Williams K, Chen B, Sheets R, Jared N, Li J, Smith EA, Claussen JC. Electrochemical Sensing of Neonicotinoids Using Laser-Induced Graphene. ACS Sens 2021; 6:3063-3071. [PMID: 34370948 DOI: 10.1021/acssensors.1c01082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Neonicotinoids are the fastest-growing insecticide accounting for over 25% of the global pesticide market and are capable of controlling a range of pests that damage croplands, home yards/gardens, and golf course greens. However, widespread use has led to nontarget organism decline in pollinators, insects, and birds, while chronic, sublethal effects on humans are still largely unknown. Therefore, there is a need to understand how prevalent neonicotinoids are in the environment as there are currently no commercially available field-deployable sensors capable of measuring neonicotinoid concentrations in surface waters. Herein, we report the first example of a laser-induced graphene (LIG) platform that utilizes electrochemical sensing for neonicotinoid detection. These graphene-based sensors are created through a scalable direct-write laser fabrication process that converts polyimide into LIG, which eliminates the need for chemical synthesis of graphene, ink formulation, masks, stencils, pattern rolls, and postprint annealing commonly associated with other printed graphene sensors. The LIG electrodes were capable of monitoring four major neonicotinoids (CLO, IMD, TMX, and DNT) with low detection limits (CLO, 823 nM; IMD, 384 nM; TMX, 338 nM; and DNT, 682 nM) and a rapid response time (∼10 s) using square-wave voltammetry without chemical/biological functionalization. Interference testing exhibited negligible responses from widely used pesticides including the broad-leaf insecticides parathion, paraoxon, and fipronil, as well as systemic herbicides glyphosate (roundup), atrazine, dicamba, and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid. These scalable, graphene-based sensors have the potential for wide-scale mapping of neonicotinoids in watersheds and potential use in numerous electrochemical sensor devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary T. Johnson
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Iowa State University of Science and Technology, 528 Bissell Road, Ames, Iowa 50010, United States
| | - Kelli Williams
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Iowa State University of Science and Technology, 528 Bissell Road, Ames, Iowa 50010, United States
| | - Bolin Chen
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Iowa State University of Science and Technology, 528 Bissell Road, Ames, Iowa 50010, United States
| | - Robert Sheets
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Iowa State University of Science and Technology, 528 Bissell Road, Ames, Iowa 50010, United States
| | - Nathan Jared
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Iowa State University of Science and Technology, 528 Bissell Road, Ames, Iowa 50010, United States
| | - Jingzhe Li
- Department of Chemistry, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011, United States
- The Ames Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, Ames, Iowa 50011, United States
| | - Emily A. Smith
- Department of Chemistry, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011, United States
- The Ames Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, Ames, Iowa 50011, United States
| | - Jonathan C. Claussen
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Iowa State University of Science and Technology, 528 Bissell Road, Ames, Iowa 50010, United States
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Decio P, Ustaoglu P, Derecka K, Hardy ICW, Roat TC, Malaspina O, Mongan N, Stöger R, Soller M. Thiamethoxam exposure deregulates short ORF gene expression in the honey bee and compromises immune response to bacteria. Sci Rep 2021; 11:1489. [PMID: 33452318 PMCID: PMC7811001 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-80620-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2020] [Accepted: 12/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Maximizing crop yields relies on the use of agrochemicals to control insect pests. One of the most widely used classes of insecticides are neonicotinoids that interfere with signalling of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, but these can also disrupt crop-pollination services provided by bees. Here, we analysed whether chronic low dose long-term exposure to the neonicotinoid thiamethoxam alters gene expression and alternative splicing in brains of Africanized honey bees, Apis mellifera, as adaptation to altered neuronal signalling. We find differentially regulated genes that show concentration-dependent responses to thiamethoxam, but no changes in alternative splicing. Most differentially expressed genes have no annotated function but encode short Open Reading Frames, a characteristic feature of anti-microbial peptides. As this suggested that immune responses may be compromised by thiamethoxam exposure, we tested the impact of thiamethoxam on bee immunity by injecting bacteria. We show that intrinsically sub-lethal thiamethoxam exposure makes bees more vulnerable to normally non-pathogenic bacteria. Our findings imply a synergistic mechanism for the observed bee population declines that concern agriculturists, conservation ecologists and the public.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pâmela Decio
- grid.410543.70000 0001 2188 478XInstitute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Rio Claro, Brazil
| | - Pinar Ustaoglu
- grid.6572.60000 0004 1936 7486School of Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT UK
| | - Kamila Derecka
- grid.4563.40000 0004 1936 8868School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, Loughborough, LE12 5RD UK
| | - Ian C. W. Hardy
- grid.4563.40000 0004 1936 8868School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, Loughborough, LE12 5RD UK
| | - Thaisa C. Roat
- grid.410543.70000 0001 2188 478XInstitute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Rio Claro, Brazil
| | - Osmar Malaspina
- grid.410543.70000 0001 2188 478XInstitute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Rio Claro, Brazil
| | - Nigel Mongan
- grid.4563.40000 0004 1936 8868School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, Loughborough, LE12 5RD UK
| | - Reinhard Stöger
- grid.4563.40000 0004 1936 8868School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, Loughborough, LE12 5RD UK
| | - Matthias Soller
- grid.6572.60000 0004 1936 7486School of Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT UK
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9
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Roat TC, Santos-Pinto JRAD, Miotelo L, de Souza CL, Palma MS, Malaspina O. Using a toxicoproteomic approach to investigate the effects of thiamethoxam into the brain of Apis mellifera. CHEMOSPHERE 2020; 258:127362. [PMID: 32947664 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.127362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2020] [Revised: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 06/06/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Neonicotinoids have been described as toxic to bees. In this context, the A. mellifera foragers were exposed to a sublethal concentration of thiamethoxam (LC50/100: 0,0227 ng de thiamethoxam/μL-1 diet), a neurotoxic insecticide, for 8 days; and it was decided to investigate the insecticide effect on the brain by a shotgun proteomic approach followed by label-free quantitative-based proteomics. A total of 401 proteins were identified in the control group (CG); and a total of 350 proteins in the thiamethoxam exposed group (TMX). Quantitative proteomics data showed up 251 proteins with significant quantitative values in the TMX group. These findings demonstrated the occurrence of shared and unique proteins with altered expression in the TMX group, such as ATP synthase subunit beta, heat shock protein cognate 4, spectrin beta chain-like, mushroom body large-type Kenyon cell-specific protein 1-like, tubulin alpha-1 chain-like, arginine kinase, epidermal growth factor receptor, odorant receptor, glutamine synthetase, glutamate receptor, and cytochrome P450 4c3. Meanwhile, the proteins that were expressed uniquely in the TMX group are involved mainly in the phosphorylation, cellular protein modification, and cell surface receptor signalling processes. Interaction network results showed that identified proteins are present in five different metabolic pathways - oxidative stress, cytoskeleton control, visual process, olfactory memory, and glutamate metabolism. Our scientific outcomes demonstrated that a sublethal concentration of thiamethoxam can impair biological processes and important metabolic pathways, causing damage to the nervous system of bees, and in the long term, can compromise the nutrition and physiology of individuals from the colony.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thaisa C Roat
- Center for the Study of Social Insects, Department of General and Applied Biology, Institute of Biosciences of Rio Claro, University of Sao Paulo State (UNESP), Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - José Roberto Aparecido Dos Santos-Pinto
- Center for the Study of Social Insects, Department of General and Applied Biology, Institute of Biosciences of Rio Claro, University of Sao Paulo State (UNESP), Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil.
| | - Lucas Miotelo
- Center for the Study of Social Insects, Department of General and Applied Biology, Institute of Biosciences of Rio Claro, University of Sao Paulo State (UNESP), Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Caroline Lacerra de Souza
- Center for the Study of Social Insects, Department of General and Applied Biology, Institute of Biosciences of Rio Claro, University of Sao Paulo State (UNESP), Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Mario Sergio Palma
- Center for the Study of Social Insects, Department of General and Applied Biology, Institute of Biosciences of Rio Claro, University of Sao Paulo State (UNESP), Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Osmar Malaspina
- Center for the Study of Social Insects, Department of General and Applied Biology, Institute of Biosciences of Rio Claro, University of Sao Paulo State (UNESP), Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil
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10
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Wei L, Lee S, Majumdar S, Zhang B, Sanfilippo P, Joseph B, Miura P, Soller M, Lai EC. Overlapping Activities of ELAV/Hu Family RNA Binding Proteins Specify the Extended Neuronal 3' UTR Landscape in Drosophila. Mol Cell 2020; 80:140-155.e6. [PMID: 33007254 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2020.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Revised: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The tissue-specific deployment of highly extended neural 3' UTR isoforms, generated by alternative polyadenylation (APA), is a broad and conserved feature of metazoan genomes. However, the factors and mechanisms that control neural APA isoforms are not well understood. Here, we show that three ELAV/Hu RNA binding proteins (Elav, Rbp9, and Fne) have similar capacities to induce a lengthened 3' UTR landscape in an ectopic setting. These factors promote accumulation of chromatin-associated, 3' UTR-extended, nascent transcripts, through inhibition of proximal polyadenylation site (PAS) usage. Notably, Elav represses an unannotated splice isoform of fne, switching the normally cytoplasmic Fne toward the nucleus in elav mutants. We use genomic profiling to reveal strong and broad loss of neural APA in elav/fne double mutant CNS, the first genetic background to largely abrogate this distinct APA signature. Overall, we demonstrate how regulatory interplay and functionally overlapping activities of neural ELAV/Hu RBPs drives the neural APA landscape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Wei
- Department of Developmental Biology, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Seungjae Lee
- Department of Developmental Biology, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Sonali Majumdar
- Department of Developmental Biology, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Binglong Zhang
- Department of Developmental Biology, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Piero Sanfilippo
- Department of Developmental Biology, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA; Louis V. Gerstner, Jr. Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Brian Joseph
- Department of Developmental Biology, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA; Louis V. Gerstner, Jr. Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Pedro Miura
- Department of Developmental Biology, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA; Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV 89557, USA
| | - Matthias Soller
- School of Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK
| | - Eric C Lai
- Department of Developmental Biology, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA.
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