Developing an in vivo toxicity assay for RNAi risk assessment in honey bees, Apis mellifera L

Authors

Ana María Vélez, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Jessica Jurzenski, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Natalie Matz, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Xuguo Zhou, University of KentuckyFollow
Haichuan Wang, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Marion D. Ellis, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Blair Siegfried, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

2016

Citation

Published in Chemosphere 144 (2016), pp. 1083–1090. doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2015.09.068

Comments

Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. Used by permission.

Abstract

Maize plants expressing dsRNA for the management of Diabrotica virgifera virgifera are likely to be commercially available by the end of this decade. Honey bees, Apis mellifera, can potentially be exposed to pollen from transformed maize expressing dsRNA. Consequently, evaluation of the biological impacts of RNAi in honey bees is a fundamental component for ecological risk assessment. The insecticidal activity of a known lethal dsRNA target for D. v. virgifera, the vATPase subunit A, was evaluated in larval and adult honey bees. Activity of both D. v. virgifera (Dvv)- and A. mellifera (Am)-specific dsRNA was tested by dietary exposure to dsRNA. Larval development, survival, adult eclosion, adult life span and relative gene expression were evaluated. The results of these tests indicated that Dvv vATPase-A dsRNA has limited effects on larval and adult honey bee survival. Importantly, no effects were observed upon exposure of Am vATPase-A dsRNA suggesting that the lack of response involves factors other than sequence specificity. The results from this study provide guidance for future RNAi risk analyses and for the development of a risk assessment framework that incorporates similar hazard assessments.

Includes supplementary data.