Glyphosate-based herbicides and <i>Nosema sp.</i> microsporidia reduce honey bee (<i>Apis mellifera</i> L.) survivability under laboratory conditions

Faita, Márcia Regina; Cardozo, Mayara Martins; Amandio, Dylan Thomas Telles; Orth, Afonso Inácio; Nodari, Rubens Onofre

doi:10.1080/00218839.2020.1736782

Cited by 34 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 71 publications

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“…The use of glyphosate in agriculture is currently heavily debated, based on increasing evidence for its detrimental impact on animals due to symbiont depletion 25 , 26 , 89 , 93 or inhibition of cuticle melanization 22 . Our findings on the glyphosate susceptibility of a beetle via its prephenate-supplementing endosymbiont exacerbate these concerns, particularly when considering our predictions based on an EPSPS phylogeny that many insects harbor endosymbionts susceptible to glyphosate.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Inhibition of a nutritional endosymbiont by glyphosate abolishes mutualistic benefit on cuticle synthesis in Oryzaephilus surinamensis

et al. 2021

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Glyphosate is widely used as a herbicide, but recent studies begin to reveal its detrimental side effects on animals by targeting the shikimate pathway of associated gut microorganisms. However, its impact on nutritional endosymbionts in insects remains poorly understood. Here, we sequenced the tiny, shikimate pathway encoding symbiont genome of the sawtoothed grain beetle Oryzaephilus surinamensis. Decreased titers of the aromatic amino acid tyrosine in symbiont-depleted beetles underscore the symbionts’ ability to synthesize prephenate as the precursor for host tyrosine synthesis and its importance for cuticle sclerotization and melanization. Glyphosate exposure inhibited symbiont establishment during host development and abolished the mutualistic benefit on cuticle synthesis in adults, which could be partially rescued by dietary tyrosine supplementation. Furthermore, phylogenetic analyses indicate that the shikimate pathways of many nutritional endosymbionts likewise contain a glyphosate sensitive 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase. These findings highlight the importance of symbiont-mediated tyrosine supplementation for cuticle biosynthesis in insects, but also paint an alarming scenario regarding the use of glyphosate in light of recent declines in insect populations.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Inhibition of a nutritional endosymbiont by glyphosate abolishes mutualistic benefit on cuticle synthesis in Oryzaephilus surinamensis

et al. 2021

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“…However, glyphosate is commonly found in herbicide formulations in the form of a salt mixed with surfactants to increase water solubility and penetration of the targeted organisms. Thus, the effects of glyphosate in herbicide formulations may differ from the effects of pure glyphosate ( 63 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Oral or Topical Exposure to Glyphosate in Herbicide Formulation Impacts the Gut Microbiota and Survival Rates of Honey Bees

Motta

Mak

Jong

et al. 2020

Appl Environ Microbiol

101

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Honey bees are important agricultural pollinators that rely on a specific gut microbiota for regulation of immune system and defense against pathogens. Environmental stressors that affect the bee gut microbial community, such as antibiotics and glyphosate, can indirectly compromise bee health. Most of the experiments demonstrating these effects have been done under laboratory conditions with pure chemicals. Here, we investigated the oral and topical effects of variable concentrations of glyphosate in herbicide formulation on the honey bee gut microbiota and health under laboratory and field conditions. In all of these conditions, the formulation, dissolved in sucrose syrup or water, affected the abundance of beneficial bacteria in the bee gut in a dose-dependent way. Mark-recapture experiments also demonstrated that bees exposed to the formulation were more likely to disappear from the colony, once reintroduced after exposure. Although no visible effects were observed for hives exposed to the formulation in field experiments, challenge trials with the pathogen Serratia, performed under laboratory conditions, revealed that bees from hives exposed to the formulation exhibited increased mortality compared to bees from control hives. In the field experiments, glyphosate was detected in honey collected from exposed hives, showing that worker bees transfer xenobiotics to the hive, thereby extending exposure and increasing the chances of exposure to recently emerged bees. These findings show that different routes of exposure to glyphosate-based herbicide can affect honey bees and their gut microbiota. Importance The honey bee gut microbial community plays a vital role in immune response and defense against opportunistic pathogens. Environmental stressors, such as the herbicide glyphosate, may affect the gut microbiota, with negative consequences for bee health. Glyphosate is usually sprayed in the field mixed with adjuvants, which enhance herbicidal activity. These adjuvants may also enhance undesired effects in non-targeted organisms. This seems to be the case for glyphosate-based herbicide on honey bees. As we show in this study, oral exposure to either pure glyphosate or glyphosate in commercial herbicide formulation perturbs the gut microbiota of honey bees, and topical exposure to the formulation also has a direct effect on honey bee health, increasing mortality in a dose-dependent way and leaving surviving bees with a perturbed microbiota. Understanding the effects of herbicide formulations on honey bees may help to protect these important agricultural pollinators.

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“…In addition, bioassays showed that some pesticides can enhance the mortality effect of Nosema sp. and increase food consumption of the bees, possibly caused by the fact that bees are trying to compensate for the energy lost by additional stress [ 205 ].…”

Section: Microorganisms As One Of the Factors Triggering Ccdmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Insecticides and Microbiological Contaminants on Apis mellifera Health

Leska,

Nowak,

Nowak

et al. 2021

Molecules

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Over the past two decades, there has been an alarming decline in the number of honey bee colonies. This phenomenon is called Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). Bee products play a significant role in human life and have a huge impact on agriculture, therefore bees are an economically important species. Honey has found its healing application in various sectors of human life, as well as other bee products such as royal jelly, propolis, and bee pollen. There are many putative factors of CCD, such as air pollution, GMO, viruses, or predators (such as wasps and hornets). It is, however, believed that pesticides and microorganisms play a huge role in the mass extinction of bee colonies. Insecticides are chemicals that are dangerous to both humans and the environment. They can cause enormous damage to bees’ nervous system and permanently weaken their immune system, making them vulnerable to other factors. Some of the insecticides that negatively affect bees are, for example, neonicotinoids, coumaphos, and chlorpyrifos. Microorganisms can cause various diseases in bees, weakening the health of the colony and often resulting in its extinction. Infection with microorganisms may result in the need to dispose of the entire hive to prevent the spread of pathogens to other hives. Many aspects of the impact of pesticides and microorganisms on bees are still unclear. The need to deepen knowledge in this matter is crucial, bearing in mind how important these animals are for human life.

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Glyphosate-based herbicides and Nosema sp. microsporidia reduce honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) survivability under laboratory conditions

Cited by 34 publications

References 71 publications

Inhibition of a nutritional endosymbiont by glyphosate abolishes mutualistic benefit on cuticle synthesis in Oryzaephilus surinamensis

Inhibition of a nutritional endosymbiont by glyphosate abolishes mutualistic benefit on cuticle synthesis in Oryzaephilus surinamensis

Oral or Topical Exposure to Glyphosate in Herbicide Formulation Impacts the Gut Microbiota and Survival Rates of Honey Bees

Effects of Insecticides and Microbiological Contaminants on Apis mellifera Health

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