Project description:The effects of neonicotinoid insecticides (NNIs) on honey bee health is intensely debated, with numerous studies showing negative effects of exposure, while others report no such effects. Understanding the cause of these differences is critical for developing evidence-based policy on the use of NNIs. We carried out experiments to study the genetic and molecular basis of NNI tolerance in honey bees, which may underlie the discrepancies observed in the literature. We discovered that worker survival post-exposure to an acute oral dose of clothianidin is heritable (H2=37.8%).
Project description:Neonicotinoid insecticides have been implicated in honey bee declines, with many studies showing that sub-lethal exposure impacts bee behaviors such as foraging, learning and memory. Despite the large number of ecotoxicological studies carried out to date, most focus on a handful of worker phenotypes leading to a ‘streetlight effect’ where the a priori choice of phenotypes to measure may influence the results and conclusions arising from the studies. This bias can be overcome with the use of toxicological transcriptomics, where changes in gene expression can provide a more objective view of how pesticides alter animal physiology. Here, we used RNA sequencing to examine the changes in neurogenomic states of nurse and forager honey bees that were naturally exposed to neonicotinoids in the field and artificially exposed to neonicotinoid in a controlled experiment.
Project description:The mechanisms of cognitive and learning effects of neonicotinoid pesticides were not fully understood. We examined the effects of acute exposure to a neonicotinoid pesticide, clothianidin (CLO) on gene expression profiles in the cellebellum of male mice at 10 weeks of age.
Project description:The microsporidia Nosema ceranae are intracellular parasites that proliferate in the midgut epithelial cells of honey bees (Apis mellifera). To analyze the pathological effects of those microsporidia, we orally infected honey bee workers 7 days after their emergence. Bees were flash frozen 15 days after the infection. Then, the effects on the gut ventriculi were analyzed and compared to non-infected (control) bees.
Project description:The mechanisms of developmental neurotoxicity of neonicotinoid pesticides were not fully understood. We examined the effects of neonatal exposure to a neonicotinoid pesticide, clothianidin (CLO) on gene expression profiles of the hippocampus in male mice at 3 or 10 weeks of age.
Project description:Background: Honey bee is a major insect used for pollination of a number of commercial crops worldwide. However, the number of managed honey bee colonies has recently declined in several countries, and a number of possible causes are proposed. Although the use of honey bees for pollination can be considered as disruption of the habitat, its effects on honey bees' physiology have never been addressed. In Japan, more than 100 thousands colonies are annually used for pollination, and intriguingly 80% of them are used in greenhouses. Recently, honey bee colonies have often collapsed when they are introduced into greenhouses. Thus, to suppress colony collapses and maintain the number of worker bees in the colonies are essential for successful long-term pollination in greenhouses and recycling honey bee colonies.
Project description:Neonicotinoid pesticides cause behavioral abnormalities in mammals, raising concerns about their effects on neural function. We investigated effects of sub-acute exposure to a neonicotinoid pesticide, clothianidin (CLO) on gene expression profiles of the cerebral cortex and hippocampus in male mice
Project description:Honey bee workers were exposed to Clothianidin for 7 days. After exposure, they were subject to sucrose responsiveness test and a discrimination learning and memory test using the proboscis extension paradigm. After the 24-hour memory test, the bees were frozen on dry ice. Their brains were extracted with hypopharyngeal gland removed.