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Monchanin C, Drujont E, Le Roux G, Lösel PD, Barron AB, Devaud JM, Elger A, Lihoreau M. Environmental exposure to metallic pollution impairs honey bee brain development and cognition. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2024; 465:133218. [PMID: 38113738 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.133218] [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: 02/06/2023] [Revised: 12/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
Laboratory studies show detrimental effects of metallic pollutants on invertebrate behaviour and cognition, even at low levels. Here we report a field study on Western honey bees exposed to metal and metalloid pollution through dusts, food and water at a historic mining site. We analysed more than 1000 bees from five apiaries along a gradient of contamination within 11 km of a former gold mine in Southern France. Bees collected close to the mine exhibited olfactory learning performances lower by 36% and heads smaller by 4%. Three-dimensional scans of bee brains showed that the olfactory centres of insects sampled close to the mine were also 4% smaller, indicating neurodevelopmental issues. Our study raises serious concerns about the health of honey bee populations in areas polluted with potentially harmful elements, particularly with arsenic, and illustrates how standard cognitive tests can be used for risk assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Coline Monchanin
- CNRS, University Paul Sabatier, Toulouse III, France; Research Center on Animal Cognition (CRCA), Center for Integrative Biology (CBI), University Paul Sabatier, Toulouse III, France; Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, NSW, Australia
| | - Erwann Drujont
- CNRS, University Paul Sabatier, Toulouse III, France; Research Center on Animal Cognition (CRCA), Center for Integrative Biology (CBI), University Paul Sabatier, Toulouse III, France
| | - Gaël Le Roux
- Laboratoire Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, INPT, UPS, Toulouse, France
| | - Philipp D Lösel
- Engineering Mathematics and Computing Lab (EMCL), Interdisciplinary Center for Scientific Computing (IWR), Heidelberg University, Germany; Department of Materials Physics, Research School of Physics, The Australian National University, ACT, Australia
| | - Andrew B Barron
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, NSW, Australia
| | - Jean-Marc Devaud
- CNRS, University Paul Sabatier, Toulouse III, France; Research Center on Animal Cognition (CRCA), Center for Integrative Biology (CBI), University Paul Sabatier, Toulouse III, France
| | - Arnaud Elger
- Laboratoire Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, INPT, UPS, Toulouse, France
| | - Mathieu Lihoreau
- CNRS, University Paul Sabatier, Toulouse III, France; Research Center on Animal Cognition (CRCA), Center for Integrative Biology (CBI), University Paul Sabatier, Toulouse III, France.
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2
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da Silva RC, Aguiar JMRBV, Oi CA, Batista JE, Giurfa M, do Nascimento FS. Sex and lifestyle dictate learning performance in a neotropical wasp. iScience 2023; 26:106469. [PMID: 37091245 PMCID: PMC10113769 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023] Open
Abstract
In contrast to extensive investigations on bee cognition, the cognitive capacities of wasps remain largely unexplored despite their key role as pollinators and predators of insect pests. Here we studied learning and memory in the neotropical wasp Mischocyttarus cerberus using a Pavlovian conditioning in which harnessed wasps respond with conditioned movements of their mouthparts to a learned odorant. We focused on the different castes, sexes, and ages coexisting within a nest and found that adults of M. cerberus learned and memorized efficiently the odor-sugar associations. In contrast, newly emerged females, but not males, were unable to learn odorants. This difference concurs with their different lifestyle as young males perform regular excursions outside the nest while young females remain in it until older age. Our results thus highlight the importance of socio-ecological constraints on wasp cognition and set the basis for mechanistic studies on learning differences across ages and castes.
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3
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Gómez-Moracho T, Durand T, Lihoreau M. The gut parasite Nosema ceranae impairs olfactory learning in bumblebees. J Exp Biol 2022; 225:275951. [PMID: 35726829 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.244340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Pollinators are exposed to numerous parasites and pathogens when foraging on flowers. These biological stressors may affect critical cognitive abilities required for foraging. Here, we tested whether exposure to Nosema ceranae, one of the most widespread parasites of honey bees also found in wild pollinators, impacts cognition in bumblebees. We investigated different forms of olfactory learning and memory using conditioning of the proboscis extension reflex. Seven days after feeding parasite spores, bumblebees showed lower performances in absolute, differential, and reversal learning than controls. The consistent observations across different types of olfactory learning indicates a general negative effect of N. ceranae exposure that did not specifically target particular brain areas or neural processes. We discuss the potential mechanisms by which N. ceranae impairs bumblebee cognition and the broader consequences for populations of pollinators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamara Gómez-Moracho
- Research Center on Animal Cognition (CRCA), Center for Integrative Biology (CBI); CNRS, University Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | - Tristan Durand
- Research Center on Animal Cognition (CRCA), Center for Integrative Biology (CBI); CNRS, University Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | - Mathieu Lihoreau
- Research Center on Animal Cognition (CRCA), Center for Integrative Biology (CBI); CNRS, University Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
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4
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Monchanin C, Gabriela de Brito Sanchez M, Lecouvreur L, Boidard O, Méry G, Silvestre J, Le Roux G, Baqué D, Elger A, Barron AB, Lihoreau M, Devaud JM. Honey bees cannot sense harmful concentrations of metal pollutants in food. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 297:134089. [PMID: 35240159 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.134089] [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: 10/26/2021] [Revised: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Whether animals can actively avoid food contaminated with harmful compounds through taste is key to assess their ecotoxicological risks. Here, we investigated the ability of honey bees to perceive and avoid food resources contaminated with common metal pollutants known to impair behaviour at low concentrations. In laboratory assays, bees did not discriminate food contaminated with arsenic, lead or zinc and ingested it readily, up to estimated doses of 929.1 μg g-1 As, 6.45 mg g-1 Pb and 72.46 mg g-1 Zn. A decrease of intake and appetitive responses indicating metal detection was only observed at the highest concentrations of lead (3.6 mM) and zinc (122.3 mM) through contact with the antennae and the proboscis. Electrophysiological analyses confirmed that only high concentrations of the three metals in a sucrose solution induced a consistently reduced neural response to sucrose in antennal taste receptors (As: >0.1 μM, Pb: >1 mM; Zn: >100 mM). Overall, cellular and behavioural responses did not provide evidence for specific mechanisms that would support selective detection of toxic metals (arsenic, lead), as compared to zinc, which has important biological functions. Our results thus show that honey bees can avoid metal pollutants in their food only at high concentrations unlikely to be encountered in the environment. By contrast, they appear to be unable to detect low, yet harmful, concentrations found in flowers. Metal pollution at trace levels is therefore a major threat for pollinators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Coline Monchanin
- Centre de Recherches sur La Cognition Animale (CRCA), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, France; Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, NSW, Australia
| | - Maria Gabriela de Brito Sanchez
- Centre de Recherches sur La Cognition Animale (CRCA), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, France
| | - Loreleï Lecouvreur
- Centre de Recherches sur La Cognition Animale (CRCA), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, France
| | - Océane Boidard
- Centre de Recherches sur La Cognition Animale (CRCA), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, France
| | - Grégoire Méry
- Centre de Recherches sur La Cognition Animale (CRCA), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, France
| | - Jérôme Silvestre
- Laboratoire Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Toulouse, France
| | - Gaël Le Roux
- Laboratoire Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Toulouse, France
| | - David Baqué
- Laboratoire Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Toulouse, France
| | - Arnaud Elger
- Laboratoire Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Toulouse, France
| | - Andrew B Barron
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, NSW, Australia
| | - Mathieu Lihoreau
- Centre de Recherches sur La Cognition Animale (CRCA), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, France
| | - Jean-Marc Devaud
- Centre de Recherches sur La Cognition Animale (CRCA), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, France.
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5
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Kontos E, Samimi A, Hakze-van der Honing RW, Priem J, Avarguès-Weber A, Haverkamp A, Dicke M, Gonzales JL, van der Poel WHM. Bees can be trained to identify SARS-CoV-2 infected samples. Biol Open 2022; 11:275246. [PMID: 35502829 PMCID: PMC9096705 DOI: 10.1242/bio.059111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has illustrated the need for the development of fast and reliable testing methods for novel, zoonotic, viral diseases in both humans and animals. Pathologies lead to detectable changes in the volatile organic compound (VOC) profile of animals, which can be monitored, thus allowing the development of a rapid VOC-based test. In the current study, we successfully trained honeybees (Apis mellifera) to identify SARS-CoV-2 infected minks (Neovison vison) thanks to Pavlovian conditioning protocols. The bees can be quickly conditioned to respond specifically to infected mink's odours and could therefore be part of a wider SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic system. We tested two different training protocols to evaluate their performance in terms of learning rate, accuracy and memory retention. We designed a non-invasive rapid test in which multiple bees are tested in parallel on the same samples. This provided reliable results regarding a subject's health status. Using the data from the training experiments, we simulated a diagnostic evaluation trial to predict the potential efficacy of our diagnostic test, which yielded a diagnostic sensitivity of 92% and specificity of 86%. We suggest that a honeybee-based diagnostics can offer a reliable and rapid test that provides a readily available, low-input addition to the currently available testing methods. A honeybee-based diagnostic test might be particularly relevant for remote and developing communities that lack the resources and infrastructure required for mainstream testing methods. Summary: Honeybees can be quickly trained to identify SARS-CoV2 infected samples. SARS-CoV2 positive sample detection by bees reached a diagnostic sensitivity of 92% and a specificity of 86%. Honeybee-based diagnostics can offer a reliable and rapid test that provides a readily available, low-input addition to the currently available testing methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evangelos Kontos
- InsectSense, Plus Ultra-II Building, Bronland, 10, 6708 WH, Wageningen, The Netherlands.,Laboratory of Entomology, P.O. Box 16, 6700 AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Aria Samimi
- InsectSense, Plus Ultra-II Building, Bronland, 10, 6708 WH, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | | | - Jan Priem
- Wageningen Bioveterinary Research, P.O. Box 65, 8200 AB, Lelystad, The Netherlands
| | - Aurore Avarguès-Weber
- Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale (CRCA), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse; CNRS, UPS, 118 Route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse, France
| | | | - Marcel Dicke
- Laboratory of Entomology, P.O. Box 16, 6700 AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jose L Gonzales
- Wageningen Bioveterinary Research, P.O. Box 65, 8200 AB, Lelystad, The Netherlands
| | - Wim H M van der Poel
- Wageningen Bioveterinary Research, P.O. Box 65, 8200 AB, Lelystad, The Netherlands
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6
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Lafon G, Geng H, Avarguès-Weber A, Buatois A, Massou I, Giurfa M. The Neural Signature of Visual Learning Under Restrictive Virtual-Reality Conditions. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:846076. [PMID: 35250505 PMCID: PMC8888666 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.846076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Honey bees are reputed for their remarkable visual learning and navigation capabilities. These capacities can be studied in virtual reality (VR) environments, which allow studying performances of tethered animals in stationary flight or walk under full control of the sensory environment. Here, we used a 2D VR setup in which a tethered bee walking stationary under restrictive closed-loop conditions learned to discriminate vertical rectangles differing in color and reinforcing outcome. Closed-loop conditions restricted stimulus control to lateral displacements. Consistently with prior VR analyses, bees learned to discriminate the trained stimuli. Ex vivo analyses on the brains of learners and non-learners showed that successful learning led to a downregulation of three immediate early genes in the main regions of the visual circuit, the optic lobes (OLs) and the calyces of the mushroom bodies (MBs). While Egr1 was downregulated in the OLs, Hr38 and kakusei were coincidently downregulated in the calyces of the MBs. Our work thus reveals that color discrimination learning induced a neural signature distributed along the sequential pathway of color processing that is consistent with an inhibitory trace. This trace may relate to the motor patterns required to solve the discrimination task, which are different from those underlying pathfinding in 3D VR scenarios allowing for navigation and exploratory learning and which lead to IEG upregulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory Lafon
- Research Center on Animal Cognition, Center for Integrative Biology, CNRS, University of Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Haiyang Geng
- Research Center on Animal Cognition, Center for Integrative Biology, CNRS, University of Toulouse, Toulouse, France
- College of Animal Sciences (College of Bee Science), Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Aurore Avarguès-Weber
- Research Center on Animal Cognition, Center for Integrative Biology, CNRS, University of Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Alexis Buatois
- Research Center on Animal Cognition, Center for Integrative Biology, CNRS, University of Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Isabelle Massou
- Research Center on Animal Cognition, Center for Integrative Biology, CNRS, University of Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Martin Giurfa
- Research Center on Animal Cognition, Center for Integrative Biology, CNRS, University of Toulouse, Toulouse, France
- College of Animal Sciences (College of Bee Science), Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France
- *Correspondence: Martin Giurfa,
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7
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Visual learning in a virtual reality environment upregulates immediate early gene expression in the mushroom bodies of honey bees. Commun Biol 2022; 5:130. [PMID: 35165405 PMCID: PMC8844430 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03075-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Free-flying bees learn efficiently to solve numerous visual tasks. Yet, the neural underpinnings of this capacity remain unexplored. We used a 3D virtual reality (VR) environment to study visual learning and determine if it leads to changes in immediate early gene (IEG) expression in specific areas of the bee brain. We focused on kakusei, Hr38 and Egr1, three IEGs that have been related to bee foraging and orientation, and compared their relative expression in the calyces of the mushroom bodies, the optic lobes and the rest of the brain after color discrimination learning. Bees learned to discriminate virtual stimuli displaying different colors and retained the information learned. Successful learners exhibited Egr1 upregulation only in the calyces of the mushroom bodies, thus uncovering a privileged involvement of these brain regions in associative color learning and the usefulness of Egr1 as a marker of neural activity induced by this phenomenon.
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8
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Motion cues from the background influence associative color learning of honey bees in a virtual-reality scenario. Sci Rep 2021; 11:21127. [PMID: 34702914 PMCID: PMC8548521 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-00630-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Honey bees exhibit remarkable visual learning capacities, which can be studied using virtual reality (VR) landscapes in laboratory conditions. Existing VR environments for bees are imperfect as they provide either open-loop conditions or 2D displays. Here we achieved a true 3D environment in which walking bees learned to discriminate a rewarded from a punished virtual stimulus based on color differences. We included ventral or frontal background cues, which were also subjected to 3D updating based on the bee movements. We thus studied if and how the presence of such motion cues affected visual discrimination in our VR landscape. Our results showed that the presence of frontal, and to a lesser extent, of ventral background motion cues impaired the bees' performance. Whenever these cues were suppressed, color discrimination learning became possible. We analyzed the specific contribution of foreground and background cues and discussed the role of attentional interference and differences in stimulus salience in the VR environment to account for these results. Overall, we show how background and target cues may interact at the perceptual level and influence associative learning in bees. In addition, we identify issues that may affect decision-making in VR landscapes, which require specific control by experimenters.
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9
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Bestea L, Réjaud A, Sandoz JC, Carcaud J, Giurfa M, de Brito Sanchez MG. Peripheral taste detection in honey bees: What do taste receptors respond to? Eur J Neurosci 2021; 54:4417-4444. [PMID: 33934411 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Revised: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the neural principles governing taste perception in species that bear economic importance or serve as research models for other sensory modalities constitutes a strategic goal. Such is the case of the honey bee (Apis mellifera), which is environmentally and socioeconomically important, given its crucial role as pollinator agent in agricultural landscapes and which has served as a traditional model for visual and olfactory neurosciences and for research on communication, navigation, and learning and memory. Here we review the current knowledge on honey bee gustatory receptors to provide an integrative view of peripheral taste detection in this insect, highlighting specificities and commonalities with other insect species. We describe behavioral and electrophysiological responses to several tastant categories and relate these responses, whenever possible, to known molecular receptor mechanisms. Overall, we adopted an evolutionary and comparative perspective to understand the neural principles of honey bee taste and define key questions that should be answered in future gustatory research centered on this insect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise Bestea
- Research Centre on Animal Cognition, Center for Integrative Biology, CNRS (UMR 5169), University of Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Alexandre Réjaud
- Laboratoire Evolution et Diversité Biologique, CNRS, IRD (UMR 5174), University of Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Jean-Christophe Sandoz
- Evolution, Genomes, Behavior and Ecology, CNRS, IRD (UMR 9191, University Paris Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Julie Carcaud
- Evolution, Genomes, Behavior and Ecology, CNRS, IRD (UMR 9191, University Paris Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Martin Giurfa
- Research Centre on Animal Cognition, Center for Integrative Biology, CNRS (UMR 5169), University of Toulouse, Toulouse, France.,College of Animal Sciences (College of Bee Science), Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China.,Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), Paris, France
| | - Maria Gabriela de Brito Sanchez
- Research Centre on Animal Cognition, Center for Integrative Biology, CNRS (UMR 5169), University of Toulouse, Toulouse, France
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10
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Monchanin C, Blanc-Brude A, Drujont E, Negahi MM, Pasquaretta C, Silvestre J, Baqué D, Elger A, Barron AB, Devaud JM, Lihoreau M. Chronic exposure to trace lead impairs honey bee learning. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2021; 212:112008. [PMID: 33578129 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2021.112008] [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: 11/25/2020] [Revised: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Pollutants can have severe detrimental effects on insects, even at sublethal doses, damaging developmental and cognitive processes involved in crucial behaviours. Agrochemicals have been identified as important causes of pollinator declines, but the impacts of other anthropogenic compounds, such as metallic trace elements in soils and waters, have received considerably less attention. Here, we exposed colonies of the European honey bee Apis mellifera to chronic field-realistic concentrations of lead in food and demonstrated that consumption of this trace element impaired bee cognition and morphological development. Honey bees exposed to the highest of these low concentrations had reduced olfactory learning performances. These honey bees also developed smaller heads, which may have constrained their cognitive functions as we show a general relationship between head size and learning performance. Our results demonstrate that lead pollutants, even at trace levels, can have dramatic effects on honey bee cognitive abilities, potentially altering key colony functions and the pollination service.
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Affiliation(s)
- Coline Monchanin
- Research Center on Animal Cognition (CRCA), Center for Integrative Biology (CBI); CNRS, University Paul Sabatier - Toulouse III, France; Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, NSW, Australia.
| | - Amaury Blanc-Brude
- Research Center on Animal Cognition (CRCA), Center for Integrative Biology (CBI); CNRS, University Paul Sabatier - Toulouse III, France
| | - Erwann Drujont
- Research Center on Animal Cognition (CRCA), Center for Integrative Biology (CBI); CNRS, University Paul Sabatier - Toulouse III, France
| | - Mohammed Mustafa Negahi
- Research Center on Animal Cognition (CRCA), Center for Integrative Biology (CBI); CNRS, University Paul Sabatier - Toulouse III, France
| | - Cristian Pasquaretta
- Research Center on Animal Cognition (CRCA), Center for Integrative Biology (CBI); CNRS, University Paul Sabatier - Toulouse III, France
| | - Jérôme Silvestre
- EcoLab, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, INPT, UPS, Toulouse, France
| | - David Baqué
- EcoLab, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, INPT, UPS, Toulouse, France
| | - Arnaud Elger
- EcoLab, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, INPT, UPS, Toulouse, France
| | - Andrew B Barron
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, NSW, Australia
| | - Jean-Marc Devaud
- Research Center on Animal Cognition (CRCA), Center for Integrative Biology (CBI); CNRS, University Paul Sabatier - Toulouse III, France
| | - Mathieu Lihoreau
- Research Center on Animal Cognition (CRCA), Center for Integrative Biology (CBI); CNRS, University Paul Sabatier - Toulouse III, France.
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11
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Aguiar JMRBV, Ferreira GDS, Sanches PA, Bento JMS, Sazima M. What pollinators see does not match what they smell: Absence of color-fragrance association in the deceptive orchid Ionopsis utricularioides. PHYTOCHEMISTRY 2021; 182:112591. [PMID: 33333335 DOI: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2020.112591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Revised: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/14/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Many deceptive orchids present variation in floral color and fragrance. This might be advantageous for the plant, as it can disturb the associative avoidance learning of pollinators, promoting more visits to the flowers. Some studies have shown that color and fragrance can be correlated in polymorphic deceptive orchids, but these studies employed color traits based on the human visual system and not the visual perception of pollinators. Thus, we investigated the composition of the floral fragrance of Ionopsis utricularioides (Sw.) Lindl., a polymorphic deceptive orchid, and analyzed possible correlations with the floral color as seen by bees, Apis mellifera L. and Melipona quadrifasciata Lepeletier, using the color hexagon model. We found high color and fragrance intraspecific variation, as expected for deceptive species. However, we found no color-fragrance association in individuals, either by comparing fragrance profiles with the color variable saturation or by comparing them with the placement of individuals in the color hexagon for both bee species. This lack of correlation contradicts the biochemical pathway hypothesis, which proposes that associations between floral color and scent in polymorphic flowers arise from shared biochemical pathways. However, a complete absence of correlation between floral signals is consistent with selection arising through pollinator cognitive ecology. Lack of correlation would increase the floral variability perceived by bees, given their multimodal learning, and this variability could disrupt avoidance learning of deceptive flowers, thus enhancing the efficacy of the plant's deceptive pollination mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gabriel de Souza Ferreira
- Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment (HEP) at the Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Sigwartstr. 10, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Patricia Alessandra Sanches
- Universidade de São Paulo, Escola Superior de Agricultura "Luiz de Queiroz" (ESALQ), Departamento de Entomologia e Acarologia, Piracicaba, SP, 13418-900, Brazil; Department of Environmental Systems Science, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zürich), 8092, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - José Mauricio Simões Bento
- Universidade de São Paulo, Escola Superior de Agricultura "Luiz de Queiroz" (ESALQ), Departamento de Entomologia e Acarologia, Piracicaba, SP, 13418-900, Brazil
| | - Marlies Sazima
- Departamento de Botânica, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, SP, 13083-865, Brazil
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12
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Abstract
With less than a million neurons, the western honeybee Apis mellifera is capable of complex olfactory behaviors and provides an ideal model for investigating the neurophysiology of the olfactory circuit and the basis of olfactory perception and learning. Here, we review the most fundamental aspects of honeybee's olfaction: first, we discuss which odorants dominate its environment, and how bees use them to communicate and regulate colony homeostasis; then, we describe the neuroanatomy and the neurophysiology of the olfactory circuit; finally, we explore the cellular and molecular mechanisms leading to olfactory memory formation. The vastity of histological, neurophysiological, and behavioral data collected during the last century, together with new technological advancements, including genetic tools, confirm the honeybee as an attractive research model for understanding olfactory coding and learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Paoli
- Research Centre on Animal Cognition, Center for Integrative Biology, CNRS, University of Toulouse, 31062, Toulouse, France.
| | - Giovanni C Galizia
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Konstanz, 78457, Konstanz, Germany.
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Bouwmeester H, Schuurink RC, Bleeker PM, Schiestl F. The role of volatiles in plant communication. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2019; 100:892-907. [PMID: 31410886 PMCID: PMC6899487 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.14496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 132] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2019] [Revised: 05/31/2019] [Accepted: 06/17/2019] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Volatiles mediate the interaction of plants with pollinators, herbivores and their natural enemies, other plants and micro-organisms. With increasing knowledge about these interactions the underlying mechanisms turn out to be increasingly complex. The mechanisms of biosynthesis and perception of volatiles are slowly being uncovered. The increasing scientific knowledge can be used to design and apply volatile-based agricultural strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harro Bouwmeester
- University of AmsterdamSwammerdam Institute for Life SciencesGreen Life Science research clusterScience Park 9041098 XHAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Robert C. Schuurink
- University of AmsterdamSwammerdam Institute for Life SciencesGreen Life Science research clusterScience Park 9041098 XHAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Petra M. Bleeker
- University of AmsterdamSwammerdam Institute for Life SciencesGreen Life Science research clusterScience Park 9041098 XHAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Florian Schiestl
- Department of Systematic and Evolutionary BotanyUniversity of ZürichZollikerstrasse 107CH‐8008ZürichSwitzerland
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Pietrantuono AL, Requier F, Fernández-Arhex V, Winter J, Huerta G, Guerrieri F. Honeybees generalize among pollen scents from plants flowering in the same seasonal period. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 222:jeb.201335. [PMID: 31611291 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.201335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2019] [Accepted: 10/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
When honey bees (Apis mellifera) feed on flowers, they extend their proboscis to absorb the nectar, i.e. they perform the proboscis extension response (PER). The presence of pollen and/or nectar can be associated with odors, colors or visual patterns, which allows honey bees to recognize food sources in the environment. Honey bees can associate similar, though different, stimuli with the presence of food; i.e. honey bees discriminate and generalize among stimuli. Here, we evaluated generalization among pollen scents from six different plant species. Experiments were based on the PER conditioning protocol over two phases: (1) conditioning, in which honey bees associated the scent of each pollen type with sucrose, and (2) test, in which honey bees were presented with a novel scent, to evaluate generalization. Generalization was evinced by honey bees extending their proboscis to a novel scent. The level of PER increased over the course of the conditioning phase for all pollen scents. Honey bees generalized pollen from Pyracantha coccinea and from Hypochaeris radicata These two plants have different amounts of protein and are not taxonomically related. We observed that the flowering period influences the olfactory perceptual similarity and we suggest that both pollen types may share volatile compounds that play key roles in perception. Our results highlight the importance of analyzing the implications of the generalization between pollen types of different nutritional quality. Such studies could provide valuable information for beekeepers and agricultural producers, as the generalization of a higher quality pollen can benefit hive development, and increase pollination and honey production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Laura Pietrantuono
- CONICET - CCT Patagonia Norte. Av. de los Pioneros 2350, San Carlos de Bariloche 8400, Río Negro, Argentina .,IFAB-Investigaciones Forestales y Agropecuarias Bariloche, INTA EEA-Bariloche, Modesta Victoria 4450, CC 277, San Carlos de Bariloche 8400, Río Negro, Argentina
| | - Fabrice Requier
- CONICET - CCT Patagonia Norte. Av. de los Pioneros 2350, San Carlos de Bariloche 8400, Río Negro, Argentina.,Evolution Génome Comportement et Ecologie, CNRS, IRD, Université Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, 91190 Paris, France
| | - Valeria Fernández-Arhex
- CONICET - CCT Patagonia Norte. Av. de los Pioneros 2350, San Carlos de Bariloche 8400, Río Negro, Argentina.,IFAB-Investigaciones Forestales y Agropecuarias Bariloche, INTA EEA-Bariloche, Modesta Victoria 4450, CC 277, San Carlos de Bariloche 8400, Río Negro, Argentina
| | - Josefina Winter
- INTI - Sede Neuquén, Ruta 7 Km 5 Mercado Concentrador, Parque Industrial 8300, Neuquén, Argentina
| | - Guillermo Huerta
- IFAB-Investigaciones Forestales y Agropecuarias Bariloche, INTA EEA-Bariloche, Modesta Victoria 4450, CC 277, San Carlos de Bariloche 8400, Río Negro, Argentina
| | - Fernando Guerrieri
- IRBI - Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l'Insecte UMR 7261, CNRS - Université de Tours, 37020 Tours, France
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