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Motta EVS, Arnott RLW, Moran NA. Caffeine Consumption Helps Honey Bees Fight a Bacterial Pathogen. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0052023. [PMID: 37212661 PMCID: PMC10269917 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00520-23] [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] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/07/2023] [Indexed: 05/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Caffeine has long been used as a stimulant by humans. Although this secondary metabolite is produced by some plants as a mechanism of defense against herbivores, beneficial or detrimental effects of such consumption are usually associated with dose. The Western honey bee, Apis mellifera, can also be exposed to caffeine when foraging at Coffea and Citrus plants, and low doses as are found in the nectar of these plants seem to boost memory learning and ameliorate parasite infection in bees. In this study, we investigated the effects of caffeine consumption on the gut microbiota of honey bees and on susceptibility to bacterial infection. We performed in vivo experiments in which honey bees, deprived of or colonized with their native microbiota, were exposed to nectar-relevant concentrations of caffeine for a week, then challenged with the bacterial pathogen Serratia marcescens. We found that caffeine consumption did not impact the gut microbiota or survival rates of honey bees. Moreover, microbiota-colonized bees exposed to caffeine were more resistant to infection and exhibited increased survival rates compared to microbiota-colonized or microbiota-deprived bees only exposed to the pathogen. Our findings point to an additional benefit of caffeine consumption in honey bee health by protecting against bacterial infections. IMPORTANCE The consumption of caffeine is a remarkable feature of the human diet. Common drinks, such as coffee and tea, contain caffeine as a stimulant. Interestingly, honey bees also seem to like caffeine. They are usually attracted to the low concentrations of caffeine found in nectar and pollen of Coffea plants, and consumption improves learning and memory retention, as well as protects against viruses and fungal parasites. In this study, we expanded these findings by demonstrating that caffeine can improve survival rates of honey bees infected with Serratia marcescens, a bacterial pathogen known to cause sepsis in animals. However, this beneficial effect was only observed when bees were colonized with their native gut microbiota, and caffeine seemed not to directly affect the gut microbiota or survival rates of bees. Our findings suggest a potential synergism between caffeine and gut microbial communities in protection against bacterial pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erick V. S. Motta
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Ryan L. W. Arnott
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Nancy A. Moran
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
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2
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Koch H, Welcome V, Kendal-Smith A, Thursfield L, Farrell IW, Langat MK, Brown MJF, Stevenson PC. Host and gut microbiome modulate the antiparasitic activity of nectar metabolites in a bumblebee pollinator. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210162. [PMID: 35491601 PMCID: PMC9058528 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial nectar secondary metabolites can support pollinator health by preventing or reducing parasite infections. To better understand the outcome of nectar metabolite-parasite interactions in pollinators, we determined whether the antiparasitic activity was altered through chemical modification by the host or resident microbiome during gut passage. We investigated this interaction with linden (Tilia spp.) and strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo) nectar compounds. Unedone from A. unedo nectar inhibited the common bumblebee gut parasite Crithidia bombi in vitro and in Bombus terrestris gynes. A compound in Tilia nectar, 1-[4-(1-hydroxy-1-methylethyl)-1,3-cyclohexadiene-1-carboxylate]-6-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-β-d-glucopyranose (tiliaside), showed no inhibition in vitro at naturally occurring concentrations but reduced C. bombi infections of B. terrestris workers. Independent of microbiome status, tiliaside was deglycosylated during gut passage, thereby increasing its antiparasitic activity in the hindgut, the site of C. bombi infections. Conversely, unedone was first glycosylated in the midgut without influence of the microbiome to unedone-8-O-β-d-glucoside, rendering it inactive against C. bombi, but subsequently deglycosylated by the microbiome in the hindgut, restoring its activity. We therefore show that conversion of nectar metabolites by either the host or the microbiome modulates antiparasitic activity of nectar metabolites. This article is part of the theme issue 'Natural processes influencing pollinator health: from chemistry to landscapes'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hauke Koch
- Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Kew Green, Richmond, Surrey TW9 3AE, UK
| | - Vita Welcome
- Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Kew Green, Richmond, Surrey TW9 3AE, UK.,Imperial College, South Kensington, London SW7 2BX, UK
| | - Amy Kendal-Smith
- Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Kew Green, Richmond, Surrey TW9 3AE, UK.,Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EA, UK
| | - Lucy Thursfield
- Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Kew Green, Richmond, Surrey TW9 3AE, UK.,John Innes Centre, Norwich, Norfolk NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Iain W Farrell
- Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Kew Green, Richmond, Surrey TW9 3AE, UK
| | - Moses K Langat
- Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Kew Green, Richmond, Surrey TW9 3AE, UK
| | - Mark J F Brown
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour, Department of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, Surrey TW20 0EX, UK
| | - Philip C Stevenson
- Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Kew Green, Richmond, Surrey TW9 3AE, UK.,Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, Greenwich, Kent ME4 4TB, UK
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3
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Plant Secondary Metabolites as Defense Tools against Herbivores for Sustainable Crop Protection. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23052690. [PMID: 35269836 PMCID: PMC8910576 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23052690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 46.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Revised: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Plants have evolved several adaptive strategies through physiological changes in response to herbivore attacks. Plant secondary metabolites (PSMs) are synthesized to provide defensive functions and regulate defense signaling pathways to safeguard plants against herbivores. Herbivore injury initiates complex reactions which ultimately lead to synthesis and accumulation of PSMs. The biosynthesis of these metabolites is regulated by the interplay of signaling molecules comprising phytohormones. Plant volatile metabolites are released upon herbivore attack and are capable of directly inducing or priming hormonal defense signaling pathways. Secondary metabolites enable plants to quickly detect herbivore attacks and respond in a timely way in a rapidly changing scenario of pest and environment. Several studies have suggested that the potential for adaptation and/or resistance by insect herbivores to secondary metabolites is limited. These metabolites cause direct toxicity to insect pests, stimulate antixenosis mechanisms in plants to insect herbivores, and, by recruiting herbivore natural enemies, indirectly protect the plants. Herbivores adapt to secondary metabolites by the up/down regulation of sensory genes, and sequestration or detoxification of toxic metabolites. PSMs modulate multi-trophic interactions involving host plants, herbivores, natural enemies and pollinators. Although the role of secondary metabolites in plant-pollinator interplay has been little explored, several reports suggest that both plants and pollinators are mutually benefited. Molecular insights into the regulatory proteins and genes involved in the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites will pave the way for the metabolic engineering of biosynthetic pathway intermediates for improving plant tolerance to herbivores. This review throws light on the role of PSMs in modulating multi-trophic interactions, contributing to the knowledge of plant-herbivore interactions to enable their management in an eco-friendly and sustainable manner.
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4
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Divekar PA, Narayana S, Divekar BA, Kumar R, Gadratagi BG, Ray A, Singh AK, Rani V, Singh V, Singh AK, Kumar A, Singh RP, Meena RS, Behera TK. Plant Secondary Metabolites as Defense Tools against Herbivores for Sustainable Crop Protection. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23052690. [PMID: 35269836 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23052690/s1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Revised: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 05/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Plants have evolved several adaptive strategies through physiological changes in response to herbivore attacks. Plant secondary metabolites (PSMs) are synthesized to provide defensive functions and regulate defense signaling pathways to safeguard plants against herbivores. Herbivore injury initiates complex reactions which ultimately lead to synthesis and accumulation of PSMs. The biosynthesis of these metabolites is regulated by the interplay of signaling molecules comprising phytohormones. Plant volatile metabolites are released upon herbivore attack and are capable of directly inducing or priming hormonal defense signaling pathways. Secondary metabolites enable plants to quickly detect herbivore attacks and respond in a timely way in a rapidly changing scenario of pest and environment. Several studies have suggested that the potential for adaptation and/or resistance by insect herbivores to secondary metabolites is limited. These metabolites cause direct toxicity to insect pests, stimulate antixenosis mechanisms in plants to insect herbivores, and, by recruiting herbivore natural enemies, indirectly protect the plants. Herbivores adapt to secondary metabolites by the up/down regulation of sensory genes, and sequestration or detoxification of toxic metabolites. PSMs modulate multi-trophic interactions involving host plants, herbivores, natural enemies and pollinators. Although the role of secondary metabolites in plant-pollinator interplay has been little explored, several reports suggest that both plants and pollinators are mutually benefited. Molecular insights into the regulatory proteins and genes involved in the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites will pave the way for the metabolic engineering of biosynthetic pathway intermediates for improving plant tolerance to herbivores. This review throws light on the role of PSMs in modulating multi-trophic interactions, contributing to the knowledge of plant-herbivore interactions to enable their management in an eco-friendly and sustainable manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pratap Adinath Divekar
- Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Indian Institute of Vegetable Research (IIVR), Varanasi 221305, India
| | - Srinivasa Narayana
- Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221305, India
| | | | - Rajeev Kumar
- Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Indian Institute of Vegetable Research (IIVR), Varanasi 221305, India
| | - Basana Gowda Gadratagi
- Indian Council of Agricultural Research-National Rice Research Institute, Cuttack 753006, India
| | - Aishwarya Ray
- Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Raipur 492012, India
| | - Achuit Kumar Singh
- Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Indian Institute of Vegetable Research (IIVR), Varanasi 221305, India
| | - Vijaya Rani
- Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Indian Institute of Vegetable Research (IIVR), Varanasi 221305, India
| | - Vikas Singh
- Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Indian Institute of Vegetable Research, Regional Research Station, Sargatia, Kushinagar 274406, India
| | - Akhilesh Kumar Singh
- College of Horticulture, Banda University of Agriculture and Technology, Banda 210001, India
| | - Amit Kumar
- Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya, Sheopur 476339, India
| | - Rudra Pratap Singh
- Acharya Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology, Ayodhya, Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Kotwa, Azamgarh 276207, India
| | - Radhe Shyam Meena
- Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221305, India
| | - Tusar Kanti Behera
- Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Indian Institute of Vegetable Research (IIVR), Varanasi 221305, India
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5
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Hatfield RG, Strange JP, Koch JB, Jepsen S, Stapleton I. Neonicotinoid Pesticides Cause Mass Fatalities of Native Bumble Bees: A Case Study From Wilsonville, Oregon, United States. ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY 2021; 50:1095-1104. [PMID: 34145877 DOI: 10.1093/ee/nvab059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
In June of 2013 an application of dinotefuran on an ornamental planting of European linden trees (Tilia cordata Mill. [Malvales: Malvalceae]) in a shopping mall parking lot in Wilsonville, Oregon provoked the largest documented pesticide kill of bumble bees in North America. Based on geographic information systems and population genetic analysis, we estimate that between 45,830 and 107,470 bumble bees originating from between 289 and 596 colonies were killed during this event. Dinotefuran is a neonicotinoid that is highly effective in exterminating and/or harming target pest insects and non-target beneficial insects. Analysis to detect the concentration of pesticides in flowers that received foliar application revealed that the minimum reported dinotefuran concentration of a sampled T. cordata flower was 7.4 ppm, or in excess of 737% above the LC50 of the beneficial pollinator, the honey bee (Apis mellifera Linnaeus, 1758 [Hymenoptera: Apidae]). Furthermore, sampled Vosnesensky bumble bees (Bombus vosnesenskii Radoskowski, 1862 [Hymenoptera: Apidae]) were found to have an average dinotefuran concentration of 0.92 ppm at the time of death, which exceeds the maximum LC50 of A. mellifera (0.884 ppm). Our study underscores the lethal impact of the neonicotinoid pesticide dinotefuran on pollinating insect populations in a suburban environment. To our knowledge, the documentation and impact of pesticide kills on wild populations of beneficial insects has not been widely reported in the scientific literature. It is likely that the vast majority of mass pesticide kills of beneficial insects across other environments go unnoticed and unreported.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - James P Strange
- Department of Entomology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Pollinating Insect - Biology, Management, Systematics Research Unit, Logan, UT, USA
| | - Jonathan B Koch
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Pollinating Insect - Biology, Management, Systematics Research Unit, Logan, UT, USA
| | - Sarina Jepsen
- The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, Portland, OR, USA
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6
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Tauber JP, Tozkar CÖ, Schwarz RS, Lopez D, Irwin RE, Adler LS, Evans JD. Colony-Level Effects of Amygdalin on Honeybees and Their Microbes. INSECTS 2020; 11:E783. [PMID: 33187240 PMCID: PMC7698215 DOI: 10.3390/insects11110783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Revised: 11/04/2020] [Accepted: 11/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Amygdalin, a cyanogenic glycoside, is found in the nectar and pollen of almond trees, as well as in a variety of other crops, such as cherries, nectarines, apples and others. It is inevitable that western honeybees (Apis mellifera) consistently consume amygdalin during almond pollination season because almond crops are almost exclusively pollinated by honeybees. This study tests the effects of a field-relevant concentration of amygdalin on honeybee microbes and the activities of key honeybee genes. We executed a two-month field trial providing sucrose solutions with or without amygdalin ad libitum to free-flying honeybee colonies. We collected adult worker bees at four time points and used RNA sequencing technology and our HoloBee database to assess global changes in microbes and honeybee transcripts. Our hypothesis was that amygdalin will negatively affect bee microbes and possibly immune gene regulation. Using a log2 fold-change cutoff at two and intraday comparisons, we show no large change of bacterial counts, fungal counts or key bee immune gene transcripts, due to amygdalin treatment in relation to the control. However, relatively large titer decreases in the amygdalin treatment relative to the control were found for several viruses. Chronic bee paralysis virus levels had a sharp decrease (-14.4) with titers then remaining less than the control, Black queen cell virus titers were lower at three time points (<-2) and Deformed wing virus titers were lower at two time points (<-6) in amygdalin-fed compared to sucrose-fed colonies. Titers of Lotmaria passim were lower in the treatment group at three of the four dates (<-4). In contrast, Sacbrood virus had two dates with relative increases in its titers (>2). Overall, viral titers appeared to fluctuate more so than bacteria, as observed by highly inconstant patterns between treatment and control and throughout the season. Our results suggest that amygdalin consumption may reduce several honeybee viruses without affecting other microbes or colony-level expression of immune genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- James P. Tauber
- Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, US Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA; (C.Ö.T.); (R.S.S.); (D.L.)
| | - Cansu Ö. Tozkar
- Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, US Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA; (C.Ö.T.); (R.S.S.); (D.L.)
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Yüzüncü Yıl University, Van 65000, Turkey
| | - Ryan S. Schwarz
- Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, US Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA; (C.Ö.T.); (R.S.S.); (D.L.)
- Department of Biology, Fort Lewis College, 1000 Rim Drive, Durango, CO 81301, USA
| | - Dawn Lopez
- Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, US Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA; (C.Ö.T.); (R.S.S.); (D.L.)
| | - Rebecca E. Irwin
- Department of Applied Ecology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA;
| | - Lynn S. Adler
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA;
| | - Jay D. Evans
- Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, US Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA; (C.Ö.T.); (R.S.S.); (D.L.)
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7
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Daniels B, Jedamski J, Ottermanns R, Ross-Nickoll M. A "plan bee" for cities: Pollinator diversity and plant-pollinator interactions in urban green spaces. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0235492. [PMID: 32667935 PMCID: PMC7363068 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0235492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2020] [Accepted: 06/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Green infrastructure in cities is considered to serve as a refuge for insect pollinators, especially in the light of an ongoing global decline of insects in agricultural landscapes. The design and maintenance of urban green spaces as key components of green infrastructure play a crucial role in case of nesting opportunities and for foraging insects. However, only few research has explored the impact of urban green space design on flower visitor communities, plant-pollinator interaction and the provision of the ecosystem service of pollination in cities. We investigated the abundance and diversity of pollinator communities in different urban park types in designed, standardized vegetation units, linked the visitation rates to the structural composition of the park types and derived indices for implemented pollination performances. The study was performed in two different structural park elements, flower beds and insect-pollinating trees. To gain a comprehensive understanding of the interaction between plants and pollinators, we calculated a plant-pollinator network of the recorded community in the investigation area. Visitation rates at different park types clearly showed, that the urban community gardens in comparison to other urban park types had a significantly higher abundance of pollinator groups, comparable to results found on a rural reference site. Tilia trees contributed significantly to the ecosystem service of pollination in investigated green spaces with a high supply of nectar and pollen during their flowering period. Calculations of pollination performances showed that recreational parks had comparably low visitation rates of pollinators and a high potential to improve conditions for the ecosystem service of pollination. The results indicated the strong potential of cities to provide a habitat for different groups of pollinators. In order to access this refuge, it is necessary to rely on near-natural concepts in design and maintenance, to create a wide range of flower diversity and to use even small green patches. Based on the findings, we encourage an integrated management of urban free spaces to consider parks as key habitats for pollinators in anthropogenic dominated, urban environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Daniels
- Institute for Environmental Research, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Jana Jedamski
- Institute for Environmental Research, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Richard Ottermanns
- Institute for Environmental Research, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
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8
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Floral resources of an invasive shrub alter native bee communities at different vertical strata in forest-edge habitat. Biol Invasions 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-020-02248-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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9
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Lande C, Rao S, Morré JT, Galindo G, Kirby J, Reardon PN, Bobe G, Stevens JF. Linden (Tilia cordata) associated bumble bee mortality: Metabolomic analysis of nectar and bee muscle. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0218406. [PMID: 31291287 PMCID: PMC6619659 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0218406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2019] [Accepted: 05/31/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Linden (Tilia spp.), a profusely flowering temperate tree that provides bees with vital pollen and nectar, has been associated with bumble bee (Bombus spp.) mortality in Europe and North America. Bee deaths have been attributed, with inadequate evidence, to toxicity from mannose in nectar or starvation due to low nectar in late blooming linden. Here, we investigated both factors via untargeted metabolomic analyses of nectar from five T. cordata trees beneath which crawling/dead bumble bees (B. vosnesenskii) were observed, and of thoracic muscle of 28 healthy foraging and 29 crawling bees collected from linden trees on cool mornings (< 30°C). Nectar contained the pyridine alkaloid trigonelline, a weak acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, but no mannose. Principal component analysis of muscle metabolites produced distinct clustering of healthy and crawling bees, with significant differences (P<0.05) in 34 of 123 identified metabolites. Of these, TCA (Krebs) cycle intermediates were strongly represented (pathway analysis; P<0.01), suggesting that the central metabolism is affected in crawling bees. Hence, we propose the following explanation: when ambient temperature is low, bees with energy deficit are unable to maintain the thoracic temperature required for flight, and consequently fall, crawl, and ultimately, die. Energy deficit could occur when bees continue to forage on linden despite limited nectar availability either due to loyalty to a previously energy-rich source or trigonelline-triggered memory/learning impairment, documented earlier with other alkaloids. Thus, the combination of low temperature and nectar volume, resource fidelity, and alkaloids in nectar could explain the unique phenomenon of bumble bee mortality associated with linden.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Lande
- Department of Crop and Soil Science, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Sujaya Rao
- Department of Crop and Soil Science, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Jeffrey T. Morré
- Department of Chemistry, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Gracie Galindo
- Department of Crop and Soil Science, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Julie Kirby
- Department of Crop and Soil Science, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Patrick N. Reardon
- NMR Facility, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Gerd Bobe
- Linus Pauling Institute, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
- Department of Animal and Rangeland Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Jan Frederik Stevens
- Linus Pauling Institute, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
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10
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Peng T, Segers FHID, Nascimento F, Grüter C. Resource profitability, but not caffeine, affects individual and collective foraging in the stingless bee Plebeia droryana. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 222:jeb.195503. [PMID: 31064857 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.195503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2018] [Accepted: 04/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Plants and pollinators form beneficial relationships, with plants offering resources in return for pollination services. Some plants, however, add compounds to nectar to manipulate pollinators. Caffeine is a secondary plant metabolite found in some nectars that affects foraging in pollinators. In honeybees, caffeine increases foraging and recruitment to mediocre food sources, which might benefit the plant, but potentially harms the colonies. For the largest group of social bees, the stingless bees, the effect of caffeine on foraging behaviour has not been tested yet, despite their importance for tropical ecosystems. More generally, recruitment and foraging dynamics are not well understood in most species. We examined whether caffeine affects the foraging behaviour of the stingless bee Plebeia droryana, which frequently visits plants that produce caffeinated nectar and pollen. We trained bees to food sources containing field-realistic concentrations of sugar and caffeine. Caffeine did not cause P. droryana to increase foraging frequency and persistence. We observed P. droryana recruiting to food sources; however, this behaviour was also not affected by caffeine. Instead we found that higher sugar concentrations caused bees to increase foraging effort. Thus, unlike in other pollinators, foraging behaviour in this stingless bee is not affected by caffeine. As the Brazilian P. droryana population that we tested has been exposed to coffee over evolutionary time periods, our results raise the possibility that it may have evolved a tolerance towards this central nervous system stimulant. Alternatively, stingless bees may show physiological responses to caffeine that differ from those of other bee groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianfei Peng
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolutionary Biology, Johannes-Gutenberg University of Mainz, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Francisca H I D Segers
- Department for Applied Bioinformatics, Institute of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Goethe University, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Fabio Nascimento
- Departamento de Biologia da Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo 3900, Brazil
| | - Christoph Grüter
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolutionary Biology, Johannes-Gutenberg University of Mainz, 55128 Mainz, Germany
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11
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Buchholz S, Kowarik I. Urbanisation modulates plant-pollinator interactions in invasive vs. native plant species. Sci Rep 2019; 9:6375. [PMID: 31011154 PMCID: PMC6477046 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-42884-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2018] [Accepted: 04/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Pollination is a key ecological process, and invasive alien plant species have been shown to significantly affect plant-pollinator interactions. Yet, the role of the environmental context in modulating such processes is understudied. As urbanisation is a major component of global change, being associated with a range of stressors (e.g. heat, pollution, habitat isolation), we tested whether the attractiveness of a common invasive alien plant (Robinia pseudoacacia, black locust) vs. a common native plant (Cytisus scoparius, common broom) for pollinators changes with increasing urbanisation. We exposed blossoms of both species along an urbanisation gradient and quantified different types of pollinator interaction with the flowers. Both species attracted a broad range of pollinators, with significantly more visits for R. pseudoacacia, but without significant differences in numbers of insects that immediately accessed the flowers. However, compared to native Cytisus, more pollinators only hovered in front of flowers of invasive Robinia without visiting those subsequently. The decision rate to enter flowers of the invasive species decreased with increasing urbanisation. This suggests that while invasive Robinia still attracts many pollinators in urban settings attractiveness may decrease with increasing urban stressors. Results indicated future directions to deconstruct the role of different stressors in modulating plant-pollinator interactions, and they have implications for urban development since Robinia can be still considered as a "pollinator-friendly" tree for certain urban settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sascha Buchholz
- Department of Ecology, Technische Universität Berlin, 12165, Berlin, Germany. .,Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), 14195, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Ingo Kowarik
- Department of Ecology, Technische Universität Berlin, 12165, Berlin, Germany.,Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), 14195, Berlin, Germany
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12
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Fossen T, Holmelid B, Øvstedal DO. Bumblebee death associated with Tilia x europaea L. BIOCHEM SYST ECOL 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bse.2018.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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Baluška F, Mancuso S. Plant Cognition and Behavior: From Environmental Awareness to Synaptic Circuits Navigating Root Apices. MEMORY AND LEARNING IN PLANTS 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-75596-0_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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