Interaction between pesticides and Nosema infection in Africanized Apis mellifera: biological effects and detection of cellular biomarkers

• Grant number: 13/09419-4
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Duration: December 01, 2013 - November 30, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Zoology - Applied Zoology
• Principal Investigator: Elaine Cristina Mathias da Silva Zacarin
• Grantee: Elaine Cristina Mathias da Silva Zacarin
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências e Tecnologias para a Sustentabilidade (CCTS). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). Sorocaba , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Érica Weinstein Teixeira

Abstract

The honey bee Apis mellifera L. provides pollination services for diverse crop plants, and these services are at risk due to exposure of bees to environmental chemicals. Forager honey bees collect nectar and pollen from flowers to sustain the colony and support healthy brood development; thus pesticides in the environment could potentially be transmitted to the hive through pollen and nectar contamination. Stressors from the environment, such as pesticides, may be harmful on cellular levels and/or affect the whole organism. In order to study the synergistic effect of the thiamethoxam insecticide and the Nosema infection in Africanized honey bees, the present study will analyze the biological effects (endpoints) and cellular biomarkers that indicate responses to the interaction between insecticide and pathogen infection, by means of laboratory bioassays with larvae and adults. For this purpose, honey bees will be collect from the experimental groups and the organs (midgut and hypopharingeal glands) will be removed for morphological, ultrastructural and imunohistochemical studies. Mortality tax and alterations in the larval development (biological effects) will be noted for statistical analysis. The evaluation of the cellular biomarkers in the organs would provide the following diagnostics: I- some damages can be repaired and cellular homeostasis is restorable (compensatory response); II- cells that remain viable after intermediate level of damage (compensatory response); III- cells undergo apoptosis, macroautophagy or necrosis after a high level of damage (non-compensatory responses). The present study will add information about the side-effects of insecticide and Nosema infection on honey bee, as well as identifying possible biomarkers in cellular level that indicates sublethal damages in this important pollinator of agroecosystems. (AU)

Scientific publications

(4)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

DOMINGUES, CAIO E. C.; ABDALLA, FABIO CAMARGO; BALSAMO, PAULO JOSE; PEREIRA, BEATRIZ V. R.; HAUSEN, MOEMA DE ALENCAR; COSTA, MONICA JONES; SILVA-ZACARIN, ELAINE C. M.. Thiamethoxam and picoxystrobin reduce the survival and overload the hepato-nephrocitic system of the Africanized honeybee. Chemosphere, v. 186, p. 994-1005, NOV 2017. (11/17840-6, 14/04697-9, 13/09419-4)

GREGORC, ALES; SILVA-ZACARIN, ELAINE C. M.; CARVALHO, STEPHAN MALFITANO; KRAMBERGER, DORIS; TEIXEIRA, ERICA W.; MALASPINA, OSMAR. Effects of Nosema ceranae and thiametoxam in Apis mellifera: A comparative study in Africanized and Carniolan honey bees. Chemosphere, v. 147, p. 328-336, MAR 2016. (13/09419-4)

TAVARES, DAIANA ANTONIA; ROAT, THAISA CRISTINA; CARVALHO, STEPHAN MALFITANO; MATHIAS SILVA-ZACARIN, ELAINE CRISTINA; MALASPINA, OSMAR. In vitro effects of thiamethoxam on larvae of Africanized honey bee Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Chemosphere, v. 135, p. 370-378, SEP 2015. (12/50197-2, 09/06701-5, 13/09419-4)

BALSAMO, PAULO JOSE; DA COSTA DOMINGUES, CAIO EDUARDO; DA SILVA-ZACARIN, ELAINE CRISTINA MATHIAS; GREGORC, ALES; IRAZUSTA, SILVIA PIERRE; SALLA, RAQUEL FERNANDA; COSTA, MONICA JONES; ABDALLA, FABIO CAMARGO. Impact of sublethal doses of thiamethoxam and Nosema ceranae inoculation on the hepato-nephrocitic system in young Africanized Apis mellifera. JOURNAL OF APICULTURAL RESEARCH, v. 59, n. 4, NOV 2019. (11/17840-6, 14/04697-9, 17/06056-9, 13/09419-4)