一些殺蟲劑在達(dá)到環(huán)境相關(guān)濃度時(shí)會(huì)造成蜜蜂大腦神經(jīng)功能失常,。在Nature Communications上報(bào)告的這一發(fā)現(xiàn)為人們所觀察到的蜜蜂覓食行為的中斷和改變提供一個(gè)內(nèi)在細(xì)胞機(jī)制,。
殺蟲劑在幫助維持作物產(chǎn)量上已被證明非常有效。然而,，它們的使用被發(fā)現(xiàn)與很多昆蟲數(shù)量的下降有關(guān),。新煙堿和有機(jī)磷酸酯是已被發(fā)現(xiàn)影響昆蟲中樞神經(jīng)系統(tǒng)中神經(jīng)傳輸?shù)膬煞N類型的殺蟲劑。蜜蜂為糧食生產(chǎn)提供必要的授粉作用,，但這些殺蟲劑對(duì)蜜蜂的具體影響卻不清楚,。Christopher Connolly及其同事獲得了來(lái)自蜜蜂大腦中神經(jīng)元的全部細(xì)胞記錄，發(fā)現(xiàn)兩種廣泛使用的殺蟲劑“吡蟲啉”和“噻蟲胺”通過(guò)激發(fā)煙堿受體損害神經(jīng)元的可激發(fā)性,。
本文作者得出的結(jié)論是,，這一機(jī)制可解釋蜜蜂接觸特定殺蟲劑后所發(fā)生的認(rèn)知受損及其隨后數(shù)量的下降。他們希望,，這些發(fā)現(xiàn)將導(dǎo)致對(duì)于目標(biāo)物種更有選擇性的改進(jìn)的害蟲控制策略的出現(xiàn),。（生物谷Bioon.com）
Nature Communications, DOI:10.1038/ncomms2648
Cholinergic pesticides cause mushroom body neuronal inactivation in honeybees
Mary J. Palmer,Christopher Moffat,Nastja Saranzewa,Jenni Harvey,Geraldine A. Wright& Christopher N. Connolly
Pesticides that target cholinergic neurotransmission are highly effective, but their use has been implicated in insect pollinator population decline. Honeybees are exposed to two widely used classes of cholinergic pesticide: neonicotinoids (nicotinic receptor agonists) and organophosphate miticides (acetylcholinesterase inhibitors). Although sublethal levels of neonicotinoids are known to disrupt honeybee learning and behaviour, the neurophysiological basis of these effects has not been shown. Here, using recordings from mushroom body Kenyon cells in acutely isolated honeybee brain, we show that the neonicotinoids imidacloprid and clothianidin, and the organophosphate miticide coumaphos oxon, cause a depolarization-block of neuronal firing and inhibit nicotinic responses. These effects are observed at concentrations that are encountered by foraging honeybees and within the hive, and are additive with combined application. Our findings demonstrate a neuronal mechanism that may account for the cognitive impairments caused by neonicotinoids, and predict that exposure to multiple pesticides that target cholinergic signalling will cause enhanced toxicity to pollinators.
