Combined pesticides in field doses weaken honey bee (Apis cerana F.) flight ability and analyses of transcriptomics and metabolomics

• Published in: Pesticide biochemistry and physiology 2024-05, Vol.201, p.105793-105793, Article 105793
• Main Authors: Ma, Changsheng, Shi, Xiaoyu, Chen, Sihao, Han, Jincai, Bai, Haodong, Li, Zuren, Li-Byarlay, Hongmei, Bai, Lianyang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Bees - drug effects; Bees - genetics; Bees - metabolism; Chlorpyrifos - toxicity; Combined pesticides; Field residual pesticide; Flight ability; Flight, Animal - drug effects; Glycine - analogs & derivatives; Glycine - toxicity; Glyphosate; Insecticides - toxicity; Metabolome - drug effects; Metabolomics; Neonicotinoids - toxicity; Nitro Compounds - toxicity; Pesticides - toxicity; Transcriptome - drug effects
• ISSN: 0048-3575; 1095-9939
• DOI: 10.1016/j.pestbp.2024.105793

Imidacloprid, chlorpyrifos, and glyphosate rank among the most extensively employed pesticides worldwide. The effects of these pesticides and their combined on the flight capability of Apis cerana, and the potential underlying mechanisms remain uncertain. To investigate these effects, we carried out flight mill, transcriptome, and metabolome experiments. Our findings reveal that individual acute oral treatments with pesticides, specifically 20 μL of 10 ng/g imidacloprid (0.2 ng per bee), 30 ng/g chlorpyrifos (0.6 ng per bee), and 60 ng/g glyphosate (1.2 ng per bee), did not impact the flight capability of the bees. However, when bees were exposed to a combination of two or three pesticides, a notable reduction in flight duration and distance was observed. In the transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses, we identified 307 transcripts and 17 metabolites that exhibited differential expression following exposure to combined pesticides, primarily associated with metabolic pathways involved in energy regulation. Our results illuminate the intricate effects and potential hazards posed by combined pesticide exposures on bee behavior. These findings offer valuable insights into the synergistic potential of pesticide combinations and their capacity to impair bee behavior. Understanding these complex interactions is essential for comprehending the broader consequences of pesticide formulations on honey bee populations. [Display omitted] •Any single field level pesticide treatment had no effect on the flight ability of bees.•A mixture of two or three field level pesticides, caused significant decrease in flight ability of honey bees.•Expression levels of 307 DEGs identified in the treatment of combined pesticide.•A total of 17 metabolites were detected to be differentially expressed after exposed to combined pesticide.•Combined pesticide influence metabolic pathways involved in energy regulation.