Sperm viability and gene expression in honey bee queens (Apis mellifera) following exposure to the neonicotinoid insecticide imidacloprid and the organophosphate acaricide coumaphos |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Biotechnology, Maejo University Phrae Campus, Rong Kwang, Phrae 54140, Thailand;2. Bee Research Laboratory, USDA-ARS, Beltsville, MD, United States;1. Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Tanta University, 31527 Tanta, Egypt;2. Toxicology Centre, University of Saskatchewan, 44 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B3, Canada;3. Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada;4. Department of Zoology, and Center for Integrative Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA;5. Department of Biology & Chemistry and State Key Laboratory in Marine Pollution, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, SAR, China;6. School of Biological Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China;7. State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China;1. University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, School of Life Sciences, Gründenstrasse 40, CH-4132 Muttenz, Switzerland;2. University Basel, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institute of Molecular and System Toxicology, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland;3. Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zürich (ETH Zürich), Department of Environmental System Sciences, Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollution Dynamics, CH-8092 Zürich, Switzerland;1. Plant Protection Dept., Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tripoli, P. O. Box 13538, Tripoli, Libya;2. School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph N1G 2W1, Ontario, Canada;3. Departamento de Medicina y Zootecnia en Abejas, FMVZ, UNAM, Cd. Univ., Mexico 04510, Mexico;1. Universidade Estadual Paulista, Departamento de Biologia, Rio Claro, SP, Brazil;2. Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Instituto de Ciências Agrárias, Uberlândia, MG, Brazil;3. Universidade Federal de São Carlos, Departamento de Biologia, Sorocaba, SP, Brazil |
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| Abstract: | Honey bee population declines are of global concern. Numerous factors appear to cause these declines including parasites, pathogens, malnutrition and pesticides. Residues of the organophosphate acaricide coumaphos and the neonicotinoid insecticide imidacloprid, widely used to combat Varroa mites and for crop protection in agriculture, respectively, have been detected in wax, pollen and comb samples. Here, we assess the effects of these compounds at different doses on the viability of sperm stored in the honey bee queens’ spermatheca. Our results demonstrate that sub-lethal doses of imidacloprid (0.02 ppm) decreased sperm viability by 50%, 7 days after treatment. Sperm viability was a downward trend (about 33%) in queens treated with high doses of coumaphos (100 ppm), but there was not significant difference. The expression of genes that are involved in development, immune responses and detoxification in honey bee queens and workers exposed to chemicals was measured by qPCR analysis. The data showed that expression levels of specific genes were triggered 1 day after treatment. The expression levels of P450 subfamily genes, CYP306A1, CYP4G11 and CYP6AS14 were decreased in honey bee queens treated with low doses of coumaphos (5 ppm) and imidacloprid (0.02 ppm). Moreover, these two compounds suppressed the expression of genes related to antioxidation, immunity and development in queens at day 1. Up-regulation of antioxidants by these compounds in worker bees was observed at day 1. Coumaphos also caused a repression of CYP306A1 and CYP4G11 in workers. Antioxidants appear to prevent chemical damage to honey bees. We also found that DWV replication increased in workers treated with imidacloprid. This research clearly demonstrates that chemical exposure can affect sperm viability in queen honey bees. |
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| Keywords: | Honey bee queen Sperm viability Imidacloprid Coumaphos Gene expression |
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