Insecticide exposure alters flight-dependent gene-expression in honey bees, Apis mellifera
Data files
Dec 06, 2024 version files 36.49 KB
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README.md
4.61 KB
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STOTEN-D-24-26154-Complete_Data.xlsx
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Abstract
The increased reports of wild bee declines and annual losses of managed bees poses a significant threat to biodiversity and agricultural productivity. While these loses and declines are likely driven by various factors, the exposure of bees to neonicotinoid insecticides has raised significant concern due to their ubiquitous use and potential adverse effects. Despite numerous studies suggesting neonicotinoids can negatively affect bees at the behavioral and molecular level, data linking these two factors remains sparse. Here we provide novel data on the impact of an acute dose of the neonicotinoid thiamethoxam on the flight performance and molecular transcription profiles of foraging honey bees (Apis mellifera). Using a controlled experimental design with tethered flight mills, we measured flight distance, duration, and speed, alongside the expression of genes involved in energy metabolism, hormone regulation, and biosynthesis. Acute thiamethoxam exposure resulted in hyperactive flight behavior but led to significant dysregulation of genes associated with oxidative phosphorylation, indicating potential disruptions in cellular energy production. These molecular changes were particularly evident when bees engaged in flight activities, suggesting that the combined stress of pesticide exposure and physical exertion exacerbates negative outcomes. Our study provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying neonicotinoid-induced impairments in bee physiology and highlights potential long-term consequences on foraging abilities and ultimately colony fitness.
README: Insecticide exposure alters flight-dependent gene-expression in honey bees, Apis mellifera
This STOTEN-D-24-26154-Complete Data.xlsx file was generated on 2024-08-12 by Dr. Lars Straub
GENERAL INFORMATION
- Title of Dataset: "STOTEN-D-24-26154-Complete Data.xlsx".
- Author Information A. Principal Investigator Contact Information Name: Lars Straub Institution: Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland Address: Schwarzenburgstrasse 161, 3097 Liebefeld, Bern, Switzerland Email: lars.straub@unibe.ch
- Date of data collection (single date, range, approximate date): Between September 2020 and March 2021
- Geographic location of data collection: The study was performed at the Institute of Bee Health (IBH), University of Bern, Switzerland and at the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland, School of Life Sciences, CH-4132 Muttenz, Switzerland.
- Information about funding sources that supported the collection of the data: Support was provided by the Vinetum Foundation to L.S. There was no additional external funding received for this study
DATA & FILE OVERVIEW
- File List: Excel file ("STOTEN-D-24-26154-Complete Data.xlsx") has three sheets. Sheets 1 ('Flight'), 2 ('Molecular'), and 3 ('Flight x Molecular') have the complete raw data required to repeat all the statistical analyses.
- Relationship between files, if important: Yes, however, all statistical tests can be run independently as all the relevant data is provided per sheet.
- Additional related data collected that was not included in the current data package: None.
- Are there multiple versions of the dataset? No
METHODOLOGICAL INFORMATION
Please see the manuscript for details.
** DATA-SPECIFIC INFORMATION FOR SHEET 1 ('Flight'):
- Number of variables: 13
- Number of cases/rows: 98
- Variable List:
Specimen: Number of the individual bees (i.e., foragers on flight mills)
Treatment: This is the name of the respective treatment
Exposure: Exposed to thiamethoxam (1) or not (0)
Mill: Flight mill ID
Fyler: Did the forager fly (1) or not (0)
Mass: Weight of the bee in grams
Pollen: Was pollen present on the legs during the flight
Distance [m] - Total distance the forager flew on the flight mill in meters
Duration [sec] - Total distance the forager flew on the flight mill in sec
Duration [min] - Total duration the forager flew on the flight mill in minutes
AvgVelocity - Average velocity the forager flew on the flight mill in meters per second
MaxVelocity - Maximum velocity the forager flew on the flight mill in meters per second
- Missing data codes: "n/a". There is no missing or non-available data for this sheet.
- Specialized formats or other abbreviations used: None.
** DATA-SPECIFIC INFORMATION FOR SHEET 2 ('Molecular'):
- Number of variables: 21
- Number of cases/rows: 60
- Variable List:
Sample: Number of the individual bee (i.e., specimen)
Treatment: This is the name of the respective treatment (i.e., 1=control no-flight; 2=insecticide flight; 3=control flight; 4=insecticide flight)
Fyler: Did the forager fly (1) or not (0)
Exposure: Exposed to thiamethoxam (1) or not (0)
Mass: Weight of the bee in grams
Pollen: Was pollen present on the legs during the flight
Distance - Total distance the forager flew on the flight mill in meters
Duration - Total duration the forager flew on the flight mill in minutes
AvgVelocity - Average velocity the forager flew on the flight mill in meters per second
MaxVelocity - Maximum velocity the forager flew on the flight mill in meters per second
cox5a - gene expression level in [mean normalized expression]
cox5b - gene expression level [mean normalized expression]
cox6c - gene expression level [mean normalized expression]
cox17 - gene expression level [mean normalized expression]
buffy - gene expression level [mean normalized expression]
hbg3 - gene expression level [mean normalized expression]
ilp1 - gene expression level [mean normalized expression]
vg - gene expression level [mean normalized expression]
mrjp1 - gene expression level [mean normalized expression]
mrjp2 - gene expression level [mean normalized expression]
mrjp3 - gene expression level [mean normalized expression]
- Missing data codes: "n/a". This denotes cases in which molecular data is either missing or not available. Further, not all specimen were used to collect flight mill data. Hence, these samples have "n/a" for all flight variables (e.g., distance).
- Specialized formats or other abbreviations used: None.