Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Victor H. Gonzalez, John M. Hranitz, Mercedes B. McGonigle, Rachel E. Manweiler, Deborah R. Smith, John F. Barthell
Summary: This study investigates the impact of neonicotinoid insecticides on the thermal tolerance of honey bees. Surprisingly, exposure to sublethal doses of these insecticides enhances the heat tolerance and survival rates of bees. This suggests that honey bees have the ability to compensate for elevated temperatures when other stressors are present.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Xinxin Shi, Jingliang Shi, Longtao Yu, Xiaobo Wu
Summary: This study investigated the effects of sublethal doses of acetamiprid on the hemolymph metabolism of honeybee larvae. The results showed that acetamiprid exposure can cause metabolic variations in honeybee larvae and have adverse effects.
ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Budhi Ram Negi, Harish Kumar Sharma, Meena Thakur, Hema Prashad
Summary: The study found that under semi-field conditions, foraging activity of honey bees on mustard bloom significantly reduced after thiamethoxam spray, with a significant increase in bee mortality. Under field conditions, bee activity remained low up to the 12th day after spray, with less pronounced effects on bee mortality and colony parameters. Thiamethoxam was proven to be toxic to both adult and larval stages of Apis mellifera based on LD50 tests.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Zu Yun Zhang, Zhen Li, Qiang Huang, Zhi Jiang Zeng
Summary: Colony collapse disorder (CCD) has been occurring in the United States since 2006 and has been reported in many countries. Pesticides, specifically imidacloprid and deltamethrin, have been found to negatively affect honeybee development and behavior, leading to impaired foraging efficiency. Through RNA-seq analysis, we have identified candidate molecular mechanisms underlying the impaired dance performance in honeybees exposed to these insecticides.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ENTOMOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Jerzy Paleolog, Jerzy Wilde, Marek Gancarz, Dariusz Wiacek, Agnieszka Nawrocka, Aneta Strachecka
Summary: Pesticides have negative effects on honeybee health, and we studied the impact of the imidacloprid pesticide on the bioelement body content in honey bees. We discovered that even sublethal doses of the pesticide can cause severe bioelement deficiencies and imbalances, as well as increase toxic bioelements. Therefore, we suggest adding bioelements to the honey bee diet as an important preventive health measure in pesticide-exposed bee farms and apiaries.
Article
Biology
Sinan Kaya-Zeeb, Lorenz Engelmayer, Mara Strassburger, Jasmin Bayer, Heike Baehre, Roland Seifert, Oliver Scherf-Clavel, Markus Thamm
Summary: A study revealed that octopamine signaling is necessary for honeybee thermogenesis, and the beta octopamine receptors undergo enormous selective pressure due to adaptation to cold climates. The octopamine signaling might be a key strategy for survival in a changing environment.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Loreley Castelli, Belen Branchiccela, Pablo Zunino, Karina Antunez
Summary: Insect pollinators face threats worldwide, with exposure to multiple pesticides being one of the most significant stressors. Glyphosate and Imidacloprid are widely-used pesticides but have detrimental effects on non-target organisms. The replacement of these pesticides with glufosinate-ammonium (GA) and sulfoxaflor (S) raises concerns as their effects on non-target organisms are still largely unknown. This study found that GA reduced gut bacteria and social immunity marker expression in honey bees, while S increased gut bacteria, altered microbial composition, and affected immune responses. Both pesticides shortened honey bee survival, highlighting their negative impact and the importance of understanding pollinator decline.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
S. Benchaabane, A. S. Ayad, W. Loucif-Ayad, N. Soltani
Summary: In this study, honeybees were orally exposed to a sublethal concentration of thiamethoxam under laboratory conditions, and the effects on honeybee physiology were evaluated by monitoring specific biomarkers. Results showed that thiamethoxam induced oxidative stress and defense mechanisms in honeybees.
COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY C-TOXICOLOGY & PHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Eduardo L. Almeida, Celine Ribiere, Werner Frei, Denis Kenny, Mary F. Coffey, Paul W. O'Toole
Summary: In this study, the microbiome of honeybees from different time points in various apiaries across Ireland was analyzed. It was found that the microbiome composition showed stronger clustering by time point rather than by apiary site. The study also revealed certain bacteria in the honeybee microbiome that were correlated with hive health, highlighting the importance of the global honeybee microbiome in supporting thriving hives.
Article
Biology
Jacob M. Peters, Orit Peleg, L. Mahadevan
Summary: During reproductive swarming, honeybee clusters can modulate their morphology in response to temperature changes, maintaining internal temperature and preserving energy. The shape and size changes of the clusters exhibit faster response to cooling than heating, and fluctuate even at a constant temperature.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Minjie Huang, Jie Dong, Haikun Guo, Minghui Xiao, Deqian Wang
Summary: The study revealed the impact of neonicotinoid insecticides on the expression profile of lncRNAs in young adult honey bees, indicating negative effects on carbohydrate and protein metabolism, as well as immune-inflammatory responses. The differentially expressed lncRNAs provide a basis for further exploration of lncRNA function in honey bee growth and immune response.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Marta Burzynska, Dorota Piasecka-Kwiatkowska
Summary: Honeybee venom contains allergenic proteins that can cause severe allergic reactions, with potential therapeutic value.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Entomology
Fateme Ranjbar, Stuart Reitz, Abbas Esmaeili Sardary, M. Amin Jalali, Mahdi Ziaaddini, Hamzeh Izadi
Summary: Psix saccharicola and Trissolcus semistriatus are important egg parasitoids in pistachio orchards, but the use of broad-spectrum insecticides may pose risks to them. Research shows that fenitrothion and the mixture of thiamethoxam + lambda-cyhalothrin have slight to moderate toxicity on these parasitoids.
JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Joseph L. Woodgate, James C. Makinson, Natacha Rossi, Ka S. Lim, Andrew M. Reynolds, Christopher J. Rawlings, Lars Chittka
Summary: Male honeybees gather in specific areas to mate, displaying familiar flight paths and behavior as they navigate multiple potential lekking sites. This behavior suggests collective behavior in congregation areas.
Article
Microbiology
Alvaro De la Mora, Nuria Morfin, Jose C. Tapia-Rivera, Jose O. Macias-Macias, Jose M. Tapia-Gonzalez, Francisca Contreras-Escareno, Tatiana Petukhova, Ernesto Guzman-Novoa
Summary: Africanized honey bees are negatively affected by the fungus Nosema ceranae and the neonicotinoid insecticide thiamethoxam. Thiamethoxam decreases the bees' survivorship while N. ceranae affects their immune response. The two stressors do not have a synergistic effect when the bees are exposed to both.
Review
Cell Biology
Julia Mariette, Julie Carcaud, Jean-Christophe Sandoz
Summary: The honeybee Apis mellifera L. is a key pollinator and scientific model organism, with olfactory perception in mating behaviors of males (drones) and queens, as well as brain pathways involved in processing pheromones, being focal points of research. New evidence suggests the existence of multiple odorant cues in honeybee mating, including not only queen-produced signals but also drone-produced signals, indicating potential evolutionary changes in their olfactory systems. Exciting research avenues are being explored to deepen our understanding of the neural basis of bees' mating behaviors.
CELL AND TISSUE RESEARCH
(2021)
Review
Neurosciences
Louise Bestea, Alexandre Rejaud, Jean-Christophe Sandoz, Julie Carcaud, Martin Giurfa, Maria Gabriela de Brito Sanchez
Summary: Understanding the neural principles governing taste perception in honey bees is crucial due to their important role in pollination and their use as research models. This review examines the current knowledge on honey bee gustatory receptors and their responses to different tastants, highlighting similarities and differences with other insect species. By adopting an evolutionary and comparative perspective, the study aims to define key questions for future research on honey bee taste perception.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Maxime Policarpo, Katherine E. Bemis, James C. Tyler, Cushla J. Metcalfe, Patrick Laurenti, Jean-Christophe Sandoz, Sylvie Retaux, Didier Casane
Summary: Teleost fishes perceive their environment mainly through olfaction, which depends on the diversity of OR gene repertoire including OR, TAAR, VR1, and VR2 families. Analysis of 163 species genomes showed a wide range of variation in the number of functional OR genes, with higher numbers in species with multilamellar olfactory rosettes. Evolution of the OR gene repertoire in teleost fishes is influenced by both slow and balanced birth-and-death processes, as well as episodes of high rates of gene loss followed by gains related to morphological changes in the olfactory organ.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Marcel Mertes, Julie Carcaud, Jean-Christophe Sandoz
Summary: Sociality is a major transition in evolution, with differences in social organization and genome diversity observed between honey bees and bumble bees. The study found that bumble bees can respond to odorants according to their chemical features. Pairwise similarity among odor representations is conserved in both bumble bees and honey bees.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Baptiste Piqueret, Brigitte Bourachot, Chloe Leroy, Paul Devienne, Fatima Mechta-Grigoriou, Patrizia d'Ettorre, Jean-Christophe Sandoz
Summary: Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide. This study demonstrates that ants can be trained to detect the odor of human cancer cells, providing a noninvasive and efficient method for early cancer detection.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Louise Bestea, Marco Paoli, Patrick Arrufat, Brice Ronsin, Julie Carcaud, Jean-Christophe Sandoz, Rodrigo Velarde, Martin Giurfa, Maria Gabriela de Brito Sanchez
Summary: This study found that the short version of neuropeptide F (sNPF) regulates hunger and food-related responses in honeybees, while having no effect on responsiveness to nociceptive stimuli. The results suggest that sNPF plays a key role in modulating foraging behavior in honeybees.
Article
Neurosciences
Lohan Valadares, Bruno Gusmao Vieira, Fabio Santos do Nascimento, Jean-Christophe Sandoz
Summary: Social insects provide valuable models for studying the relationship between brain size and behavioral variability. In the jatai stingless bee, division of labor is determined by both age and body size differences among workers. The brain size differences between jatai soldiers correspond to their specialized defense tasks, illustrating functional neuroplasticity.
JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE NEUROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biology
Gerard Coureaud, Thierry Thomas-Danguin, Jean-Christophe Sandoz, Donald A. Wilson
Summary: Animals, including humans, detect and process odours efficiently, especially when faced with complex mixtures, by perceiving them as configural wholes. Experiments conducted in humans, rabbits, mice, and honeybees show that certain mixtures can be processed configurally across species. This suggests that there may be a convergent perception of certain mixtures across various species, possibly due to similarities in the anatomical organization of their olfactory systems and the need to simplify the environment's chemical complexity for adaptive behaviors.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Louise Bestea, Marco Paoli, Patrick Arrufat, Brice Ronsin, Julie Carcaud, Jean-Christophe Sandoz, Rodrigo Velarde, Martin Giurfa, Maria Gabriela de Brito Sanchez
Summary: Honeybees possess impressive learning and memory capabilities during foraging activities and rely on a sophisticated social organization. Investigating the neural mechanisms behind honeybees' foraging motivation is crucial for both scientific and economic reasons. In a recent study, a team of researchers from various disciplines explored the role of a neuropeptide called sNPF in regulating honeybees' responses to food and food-related stimuli.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Hanna Chole, Alice Merlin, Nicholas Henderson, Estelle Paupy, Prisca Mahe, Gerard Arnold, Jean-Christophe Sandoz
Summary: Honeybees' antennae exhibit different responses to stimuli in different behavioral contexts. Slow backward movements are observed in response to alarm pheromones, while fast forward movements are elicited by food, brood, and queen related pheromones. The attractiveness of odorants does not correlate with antennal movements, indicating more complex rules underlying bees' antennal responses. A significant part of these responses is acquired during bees' behavioral development.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Biology
Maxime Policarpo, Katherine E. Bemis, Patrick Laurenti, Laurent Legendre, Jean-Christophe Sandoz, Sylvie Retaux, Didier Casane
Summary: This study investigates the evolutionary dynamics of olfactory receptor genes in ray-finned fishes and their relationship with the morphology of the olfactory organ. The results show that there is a functional link between the two, with ancient and simplified olfactory organs associated with gene losses and species with unique and complex olfactory organs having a larger repertoire of olfactory receptor genes.
Article
Biology
Baptiste Piqueret, Elodie Montaudon, Paul Devienne, Chloe Leroy, Elisabetta Marangoni, Jean-Christophe Sandoz, Patrizia d'Ettorre
Summary: Early detection of cancer is crucial, and ants can be trained to detect cancer biomarkers in urine samples from mice. Our study demonstrates that ants can reliably detect tumor cues and have the potential to be efficient and inexpensive cancer bio-detectors.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biology
Antoine Couto, Simon Marty, Erika H. Dawson, Patrizia d'Ettorre, Jean-Christophe Sandoz, Stephen H. Montgomery
Summary: Life is about reproduction and some species have individuals that support the reproductive efforts of others. Social insect colonies, for example, have workers that cooperate in tasks but do not produce offspring. This extreme social structure evolved independently in Hymenoptera up to nine times, and the ability to distinguish kin from non-kin is crucial for the maintenance of non-reproductive workers.
BIOLOGICAL REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Lohan Valadares, Iago Bueno da Silva, Ana Maria Costa-Leonardo, Jean-Christophe Sandoz
Summary: By studying the transformation of worker bees into soldiers in Procornitermes araujoi, it was found that the size reduction of the mushroom body is associated with the behavioral shift, indicating a functional neuroplasticity in social insect workers.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Biology
Louise Bestea, Emmanuelle Briard, Julie Carcaud, Jean-Christophe Sandoz, Rodrigo Velarde, Martin Giurfa, Maria Gabriela DE BRITO SANCHEZ
Summary: This study focuses on the short neuropeptide F (sNPF) and investigates its regulatory role in the acquisition and formation of color memories. The results show that increasing sNPF levels can enhance color learning and memory in partially starved foragers.