Effects of formic acid, methanol and ethanol on the survival and detoxification immune-related gene expression in honeybees

Formic acid, methanol and ethanol are widely used as pesticide adjuvants in pest control in agricultural production, but their effects on the health of Apis mellifera are rarely studied, and their effects on Apis cerana have not been reported so far. In order to investigate the effects of formic acid, methanol and ethanol on the survival rate of honeybees, and the effects of these reagents of 48h median lethal dose and 48h-LD50 on the mRNA expression of detoxification immune-related genes in honeybees, the effects of three chemical reagents on the survival rate of honeybees and 48h median lethal dose were determined by feeding methods. The effects of formic acid, methanol and ethanol at 48h-LD50 on the mRNA expression of detoxification immune-related genes in honeybees were studied by qRT-PCR. The results showed that the survival rate of honeybees in the experimental group was significantly lower than that in the control group.The mRNA expression of Cyp6as5, Cyp9e2, Defensin1 and PPO in the experimental groups was significantly different from that in the control group.This study provides evidence at the molecular level that median lethal dose of formic acid, methanol, and ethanol affect the physiology and metabolism of honeybees by disrupting the normal immune system of these insects, which is expecting to provide some theoretical basis for the maintenance of bee health.

甲酸、甲醇和乙醇作为农药助剂在农业生产中广泛应用于病虫害防治，然而，它们对Apis mellifera健康的影响研究鲜有涉及，而对Apis cerana的影响至今未见报道。为探究甲酸、甲醇和乙醇对蜜蜂存活率的影响，以及这些试剂的48小时半数致死量（LD50）对蜜蜂解毒免疫相关基因mRNA表达的影响，本研究通过喂养法确定了三种化学试剂对蜜蜂存活率和48小时半数致死量的影响。采用qRT-PCR技术研究了甲酸、甲醇和乙醇在48小时LD50下对蜜蜂解毒免疫相关基因mRNA表达的影响。结果显示，实验组蜜蜂的存活率显著低于对照组。实验组中Cyp6as5、Cyp9e2、Defensin1和PPO基因的mRNA表达与对照组存在显著差异。本研究从分子层面提供了证据，表明甲酸、甲醇和乙醇的半数致死量通过扰乱蜜蜂的正常免疫系统，影响其生理和代谢，这一发现有望为蜜蜂健康维护提供一定的理论依据。