Department of Biology (Zoology), University of the Balearic Islands, Palma, Balearic Islands, Spain.
Grupo Multidisciplinar de Oncología Traslacional, Institut Universitari d'Investigació en Ciències de la Salut (IUNICS), Universitat de les Illes Balears, Palma de Mallorca, E-07122, Illes Balears, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de las Islas Baleares (IdISBa), Hospital Universitario Son Espases, edificio S, Palma de Mallorca E-07120, Illes Balears, Spain; Ciber Fisiopatología Obesidad y Nutrición (CB06/03), Instituto Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
Sci Total Environ. 2019 Nov 1;689:709-715. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.06.511. Epub 2019 Jul 1.
Honeybees have an essential role in ecosystems pollinating wild flowers and cultivated crops, representing an important cultural and economic benefit for humans. Honeybee populations are decreasing over the last decade, due to multifactorial causes. The aim of this field study was to investigate the effects of the presence of the invasive species Vespa velutina, a bee predator, in oxidative stress parameters of honeybee workers. To achieve this objective, positive or negative apiaries for the presence of the V. velutina were selected. Five honeybees from six hives of each apiary were sampled in spring, summer and autumn, analysing a total of 233 samples. Analysis of mRNA expression of oxidative stress-related genes, catalase enzymatic activity and lipid peroxidation were performed. An increase in sod2, tpx3, trxR1, gtpx1, gstS1, coxI, cytC and if2mt genes expression, as well as a raise in catalase activity and lipid peroxidation were observed in V. velutina positive samples. Thus, here we present a new methodology to analyze the impact of the predation pressure of the invasive species V. velutina on honeybees under field conditions. In conclusion, the results obtained in this study indicate the negative impact of the presence of the yellow-legged hornet on honeybees' health and the activation of their antioxidant system to protect them against this biotic stressor. Moreover, the redox status they present could increase the susceptibility of honeybees, essential insects that currently receive many inputs of different stresses, to another stressor.
蜜蜂在生态系统中起着授粉野生花卉和农作物的重要作用，对人类具有重要的文化和经济效益。在过去的十年中，由于多种因素的影响，蜜蜂数量一直在减少。本野外研究旨在调查入侵物种黄猄蚁（Vespa velutina），一种蜜蜂捕食者的存在对工蜂氧化应激参数的影响。为了实现这一目标，选择了存在或不存在 V. velutina 的正、负蜂场。在春季、夏季和秋季，从每个蜂场的六个蜂箱中抽取了五只蜜蜂进行采样，共分析了 233 个样本。分析了与氧化应激相关基因的 mRNA 表达、过氧化氢酶酶活性和脂质过氧化。在 V. velutina 阳性样本中，sod2、tpx3、trxR1、gtpx1、gstS1、coxI、cytC 和 if2mt 基因的表达增加，过氧化氢酶活性和脂质过氧化升高。因此，我们在这里提出了一种新的方法来分析在野外条件下，入侵物种 V. velutina 的捕食压力对蜜蜂的影响。总之，本研究的结果表明，黄猄蚁的存在对蜜蜂的健康产生了负面影响，并激活了它们的抗氧化系统，以保护它们免受这种生物胁迫。此外，它们呈现的氧化还原状态可能会增加蜜蜂的易感性，因为蜜蜂是目前受到多种不同压力输入的重要昆虫，可能会受到另一种压力的影响。
