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Does transgenic Cry1Ac + CpTI cotton pollen affect hypopharyngeal gland development and midgut proteolytic enzyme activity in the honey bee Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera, Apidae)?

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Abstract

The transgenic Cry1Ac (Bt toxin) + CpTI (Cowpea Trypsin Inhibitor) cotton cultivar CCRI41 is increasingly used in China and potential side effects on the honey bee Apis mellifera L. have been documented recently. Two studies have assessed potential lethal and sublethal effects in young bees fed with CCRI41 cotton pollen but no effect was observed on learning capacities, although lower feeding activity in exposed honey bees was noted (antifeedant effect). The present study aimed at providing further insights into potential side effects of CCRI41 cotton on honey bees. Emerging honey bees were exposed to different pollen diets using no-choice feeding protocols (chronic exposure) in controlled laboratory conditions and we aimed at documenting potential mechanisms underneath the CCRI41 antifeedant effect previously reported. Activity of midgut proteolytic enzyme of young adult honey bees fed on CCRI41 cotton pollen were not significantly affected, i.e. previously observed antifeedant effect was not linked to disturbed activity of the proteolytic enzymes in bees’ midgut. Hypopharyngeal gland development was assessed by quantifying total extractable proteins from the glands. Results suggested that CCRI41 cotton pollen carries no risk to hypopharyngeal gland development of young adult honey bees. In the two bioassays, honey bees exposed to 1 % soybean trypsin inhibitor were used as positive controls for both midgut proteolytic enzymes and hypopharyngeal gland proteins quantification, and bees exposed to 48 ppb (part per billion) (i.e. 48 ng g−1) imidacloprid were used as controls for exposure to a sublethal concentration of toxic product. The results show that the previously reported antifeedant effect of CCRI41 cotton pollen on honey bees is not linked to effects on their midgut proteolytic enzymes or on the development of their hypopharyngeal glands. The results of the study are discussed in the framework of risk assessment of transgenic crops on honey bees.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to Xiaoxia Dong, Shifeng Yu and Haixia Yang for technical help for the dissection works on honey bees during the study, and to JB Yang for technical assistance for honey bee rearing. This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 31071690). The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hubei Key Laboratory of Utilization of Insect Resources and Sustainable Control of Pests, College of Plant Science & Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Shizi Mountain Road, Wuhan, 430070, China

    Peng Han & Chang-Ying Niu

  2. French National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA), 400 route des chappes, 06903, Sophia-Antipolis, France

    Peng Han, Antonio Biondi & Nicolas Desneux

  3. Department of Agri-food and Environmental Systems Management, University of Catania, Via Santa Sofia 100, 95123, Catania, Italy

    Antonio Biondi

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  1. Peng Han
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  2. Chang-Ying Niu
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  4. Nicolas Desneux
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Correspondence to Chang-Ying Niu.

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Han, P., Niu, CY., Biondi, A. et al. Does transgenic Cry1Ac + CpTI cotton pollen affect hypopharyngeal gland development and midgut proteolytic enzyme activity in the honey bee Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera, Apidae)?. Ecotoxicology 21, 2214–2221 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10646-012-0976-2

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