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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Stoneville, Mississippi » Pollinator Health in Southern Crop Ecosystems Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #400358
Research Project: Ecological Assessment and Mitigation Strategies to Reduce the Risks of Bees to Stressors in Southern Crop Ecosystems

Location: Pollinator Health in Southern Crop Ecosystems Research

Title: Mixture toxicities of tetrachlorantraniliprole and tebuconazole to honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) and the potential mechanism

Author
item CANG, TAO - Zhejiang Academy Of Agricultural Sciences
item LOU, YANCEN - Zhejiang Academy Of Agricultural Sciences
item Zhu, Yu Cheng
item LI, WENHONG - Guizhou Academy Of Agricultural Sciences
item WENG, HONGBIAO - Zhejiang Academy Of Agricultural Sciences
item LV, LU - Zhejiang Academy Of Agricultural Sciences
item WANG, YANHUA - Zhejiang Academy Of Agricultural Sciences

Submitted to: Environment International
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/17/2023
Publication Date: 1/18/2023
Citation: Cang, T., Lou, Y., Zhu, Y., Li, W., Weng, H., Lv, L., Wang, Y. 2023. Mixture toxicities of tetrachlorantraniliprole and tebuconazole to honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) and the potential mechanism. Environment International. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2023.107764.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2023.107764

Interpretive Summary: Most studies of toxic effects of pesticides on bees have focused on effects of single compounds. Few studies have examined toxic effects of mixtures of pesticides on bees. The purpose of this study was to reveal the mixture toxic effects of tetrachlorantraniliprole (TET) and tebuconazole (TEB) and the underlying mechanism on honey bee workers. Our results exhibited that TET possessed the higher toxicity to A. mellifera (LC50 is 298.2 mg a.i. L-1) than TEB (LC50 is 1841 mg a.i. L-1). The mixture of TET and TEB displayed synergistic acute effect on the pollinators. Meanwhile, the activities of carboxylesterase (CarE), cytochrome P450 monooxygenase (CYP450), Trypsin, and sucrase, as well as the expressions of five genes (ppo, abaecin, cat, CYP4G11 and CYP6AS14) associated with immune response, oxidative stress and detoxification metabolism were significantly changed in the mixture exposure compared with the corresponding individual exposure group of TET or TEB. Our findings provide a comprehensive understanding of honey bee in response to sublethal toxicity between neonicotinoid insecticides and triazole fungicides, and could be used to further investigate the complex molecular mechanisms in honey bee under the stress of pesticide mixture. Additionally, these results may help to direct future research and pesticide regulation strategies to promote the conservation of wild bee populations.

Technical Abstract: The extensive use of pesticides has negative effects on the health of insect pollinators. Although pollinators in the field are seldom exposed to individual pesticides, few reports have assessed the toxic impacts of pesticide combinations on them. In this work, we purposed to reveal the combined impacts of tetrachlorantraniliprole (TET) and tebuconazole (TEB) on honey bees (Apis mellifera L.). Our data exhibited that TET had greater toxicity to A. mellifera (96-h LC50 value of 298.2 mg a.i. L-1) than TEB (96-h LC50 value of 1,841 mg a.i. L-1). The mixture of TET and TEB displayed acute synergistic toxicity to the pollinators. Meanwhile, the activities of CarE, CYP450, trypsin, and sucrase, as well as the expressions of five genes (ppo, abaecin, cat, CYP4G11, and CYP6AS14) associated with immune response, oxidative stress, and detoxification metabolism, were conspicuously altered when exposed to the mixture relative to the individual exposures. These results provided an overall comprehension of honey bees upon the challenge of sublethal toxicity between neonicotinoid insecticides and triazole fungicides and could be used to assess the intricate toxic mechanisms in honey bees when exposed to pesticide mixtures. Additionally, these results might guide pesticide regulation strategies to enhance the honey bee populations.