Environmental Effects on Superoxide Dismutase and Catalase Activity and Expression in Honey Bee

Abstract

Understanding the cellular stress response in honey bees will significantly contribute to their conservation. The aim of this study was to analyze the response of the antioxidative enzymes superoxide dismutase and catalase in honey bees related to the presence of toxic metals in different habitats. Three locations were selected: (i) Tunovo on the mountain Golija, as control area, without industry and large human impact, (ii) Belgrade as urban area, and (iii) Zajača, as mining and industrial zone. Our results showed that the concentrations of lead (Pb) in whole body of bees vary according to habitat, but there was very significant increase of Pb in bees from investigated industrial area. Bees from urban and industrial area had increased expression of both Sod1 and Cat genes, suggesting adaptation to increased oxidative stress. However, in spite increased gene expression, the enzyme activity of catalase was lower in bees from industrial area suggesting inhibitory effect of Pb on catalase.

Identification of a metallothionein gene in honey bee Apis mellifera and its expression profile in response to Cd, Cu and Pb exposure

“…Data showing higher concentrations of Cd and Pb in the air in Zajača in comparison with Belgrade, taken from an annual report of Environmental Protection Agency, Republic of Serbia are given in Table . The higher Pb concentration in the whole bodies of bees from Zajača compared to honey bees from Belgrade was also confirmed in our previous study (Nikolić et al, ) as well as changes in catalase and superoxide dismutase activity and gene expression.…”

“…In field experiments, adult bees were collected during the active season, in July 2014, from two locations in the Republic of Serbia: Belgrade (44°47′N 20°27′E), a large city with approximately 1.5 million inhabitants and Zajača (44°27′N 19°14′E), an industrial area where a mining and smelting company that produced zinc, antimony and lead from primary and secondary raw materials was active until 2013. A more detailed description of the locations and honey bee sampling is given in Nikolić et al, (). Three replicates of five honey bees were collected in each apiary.…”

Seasonal variation in the activity of selected antioxidant enzymes and malondialdehyde level in worker honey bees

“…Its main enzymatic components, 38 antioxidant genes, have been annotated manually and their comparative analysis with dipteran species indicates differences in honey bee lifestyle and the quantity of pro‐oxidant molecules ingested with food (Corona & Robinson, ). Antioxidative systems in honey bees are also involved in the neutralization of xenobiotics, including insecticides and heavy metal ions (Chakrabarti et al., ; Nikolić et al., ). Furthermore, honey bee antioxidant enzymes are important for queen activity and longevity (Corona et al., ), viability of germinal cells (Weirich et al., ; Collins et al., ), and life span plasticity (Münch et al., ).…”

Biochemical response of the Africanized honeybee exposed to fipronil

“…In terms of these concerns, the main goal of the present study was to expose the Africanized honeybee to sublethal doses of a broad‐spectrum insecticide (fipronil) and to use biomarkers to assess the physiological condition of the bees. Therefore, we evaluated the hydrolases AChE and CaEs and the metabolic enzyme GST, both well recognized as important for insect lifespan and commonly used as biomarkers to assess the fitness of honeybees after exposure to an environmental stressor (e.g., fipronil) .…”