The Power of Drosophila melanogaster for Modeling Neonicotinoid Effects on Pollinators and Identifying Novel Mechanisms
Neonicotinoids are the most widely used insecticides in the world and are implicated in the widespread population declines of insects including pollinators. Neonicotinoids target nicotinic acetylcholine receptors which are expressed throughout the insect central nervous system, causing a wide range...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2021-04-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Physiology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2021.659440/full |
| _version_ | 1818418108279291904 |
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| author | Kiah Tasman Sean A. Rands James J. L. Hodge |
| author_facet | Kiah Tasman Sean A. Rands James J. L. Hodge |
| author_sort | Kiah Tasman |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Neonicotinoids are the most widely used insecticides in the world and are implicated in the widespread population declines of insects including pollinators. Neonicotinoids target nicotinic acetylcholine receptors which are expressed throughout the insect central nervous system, causing a wide range of sub-lethal effects on non-target insects. Here, we review the potential of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster to model the sub-lethal effects of neonicotinoids on pollinators, by utilizing its well-established assays that allow rapid identification and mechanistic characterization of these effects. We compare studies on the effects of neonicotinoids on lethality, reproduction, locomotion, immunity, learning, circadian rhythms and sleep in D. melanogaster and a range of pollinators. We also highlight how the genetic tools available in D. melanogaster, such as GAL4/UAS targeted transgene expression system combined with RNAi lines to any gene in the genome including the different nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunit genes, are set to elucidate the mechanisms that underlie the sub-lethal effects of these common pesticides. We argue that studying pollinators and D. melanogaster in tandem allows rapid elucidation of mechanisms of action, which translate well from D. melanogaster to pollinators. We focus on the recent identification of novel and important sublethal effects of neonicotinoids on circadian rhythms and sleep. The comparison of effects between D. melanogaster and pollinators and the use of genetic tools to identify mechanisms make a powerful partnership for the future discovery and testing of more specific insecticides. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-14T12:17:26Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5ff67daa7d794ea1a023a5aa3f058dbc |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-042X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-14T12:17:26Z |
| publishDate | 2021-04-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Physiology |
| spelling | doaj.art-5ff67daa7d794ea1a023a5aa3f058dbc2022-12-21T23:01:35ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Physiology1664-042X2021-04-011210.3389/fphys.2021.659440659440The Power of Drosophila melanogaster for Modeling Neonicotinoid Effects on Pollinators and Identifying Novel MechanismsKiah Tasman0Sean A. Rands1James J. L. Hodge2School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol, United KingdomSchool of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United KingdomSchool of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol, United KingdomNeonicotinoids are the most widely used insecticides in the world and are implicated in the widespread population declines of insects including pollinators. Neonicotinoids target nicotinic acetylcholine receptors which are expressed throughout the insect central nervous system, causing a wide range of sub-lethal effects on non-target insects. Here, we review the potential of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster to model the sub-lethal effects of neonicotinoids on pollinators, by utilizing its well-established assays that allow rapid identification and mechanistic characterization of these effects. We compare studies on the effects of neonicotinoids on lethality, reproduction, locomotion, immunity, learning, circadian rhythms and sleep in D. melanogaster and a range of pollinators. We also highlight how the genetic tools available in D. melanogaster, such as GAL4/UAS targeted transgene expression system combined with RNAi lines to any gene in the genome including the different nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunit genes, are set to elucidate the mechanisms that underlie the sub-lethal effects of these common pesticides. We argue that studying pollinators and D. melanogaster in tandem allows rapid elucidation of mechanisms of action, which translate well from D. melanogaster to pollinators. We focus on the recent identification of novel and important sublethal effects of neonicotinoids on circadian rhythms and sleep. The comparison of effects between D. melanogaster and pollinators and the use of genetic tools to identify mechanisms make a powerful partnership for the future discovery and testing of more specific insecticides.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2021.659440/fullneonicotinoidshoneybeebumblebeefruit flyDrosophila melanogasterinsecticides |
| spellingShingle | Kiah Tasman Sean A. Rands James J. L. Hodge The Power of Drosophila melanogaster for Modeling Neonicotinoid Effects on Pollinators and Identifying Novel Mechanisms Frontiers in Physiology neonicotinoids honeybee bumblebee fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster insecticides |
| title | The Power of Drosophila melanogaster for Modeling Neonicotinoid Effects on Pollinators and Identifying Novel Mechanisms |
| title_full | The Power of Drosophila melanogaster for Modeling Neonicotinoid Effects on Pollinators and Identifying Novel Mechanisms |
| title_fullStr | The Power of Drosophila melanogaster for Modeling Neonicotinoid Effects on Pollinators and Identifying Novel Mechanisms |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Power of Drosophila melanogaster for Modeling Neonicotinoid Effects on Pollinators and Identifying Novel Mechanisms |
| title_short | The Power of Drosophila melanogaster for Modeling Neonicotinoid Effects on Pollinators and Identifying Novel Mechanisms |
| title_sort | power of drosophila melanogaster for modeling neonicotinoid effects on pollinators and identifying novel mechanisms |
| topic | neonicotinoids honeybee bumblebee fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster insecticides |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2021.659440/full |
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