Journal article
Food contamination with fipronil alters gene expression associated with foraging in Africanized honey bees
Environmental science and pollution research international, Vol.31(39), pp.52267-52278
15/08/2024
PMID: 39145909
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Abstract
Taking into consideration that bees can be contaminated by pesticides through the ingestion of contaminated floral resources, we can utilize genetic techniques to assess effects that are scarcely observed in behavioral studies. This study aimed to investigate the genetic effects of ingesting lethal and sublethal doses of the insecticide fipronil in foraging honey bees during two periods of acute exposure. Bees were exposed to fipronil through contaminated honey syrup at two dosages (LD50 = 0.19 µg/bee; LD50/100 = 0.0019 µg/bee) and for two durations (1 and 4 h). Following exposure, we measured syrup consumption per bee, analyzed the transcriptome of bee brain tissue, and identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs), categorizing them functionally based on gene ontology (GO). The results revealed a significant genetic response in honey bees after exposure to fipronil, regardless of the dosage used. Fipronil affected various metabolic, transport, and cellular regulation pathways, as well as detoxification processes and xenobiotic substance detection. Additionally, the downregulation of several DEGs belonging to the olfactory-binding protein (OBP) family was observed, suggesting potential physiological alterations in bees that may lead to disoriented behaviors and reduced foraging efficiency.
Details
- Title
- Food contamination with fipronil alters gene expression associated with foraging in Africanized honey bees
- Creators
- Yan Souza Lima - São Paulo State University (UNESP) (Brazil)Isabella Cristina de Castro Lippi - São Paulo State University (UNESP) (Brazil)Jaine da Luz Scheffer - São Paulo State University (UNESP) (Brazil)Juliana Sartori Lunardi - São Paulo State University (UNESP) (Brazil)Marcus Vinícius Niz Alvarez - São Paulo State University (UNESP) (Brazil)Samir Moura Kadri - São Paulo State University (UNESP) (Brazil)Ricardo de Oliveira Orsi - São Paulo State University (UNESP) (Brazil)
- Publication Details
- Environmental science and pollution research international, Vol.31(39), pp.52267-52278
- Publisher
- Springer Nature
- Grant note
- This work was supported by the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES)—Financing Code 001, and by the State of São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP), process: 2020/10524–0.
- Identifiers
- 991013285447402368
- Copyright
- © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2024
- Academic Unit
- Faculty of Science and Engineering
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article