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Field-relevant neonicotinoids disrupt insect learning, circadian rhythms, and sleep. These insecticides, like imidacloprid and clothianidin, impair essential functions in beneficial insects, impacting foraging and pollination.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Environmental Science
  • Entomology

Background:

  • Neonicotinoids are widely used insecticides with known sub-lethal effects on beneficial insects.
  • Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) signaling is crucial for memory, circadian rhythms, and sleep, vital for insect behavior.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of field-relevant concentrations of EU-banned neonicotinoids on Drosophila melanogaster memory, circadian rhythms, and sleep.
  • To identify the specific neonicotinoids affecting these behaviors and the underlying neural mechanisms.

Main Methods:

  • Exposure of Drosophila to field-relevant concentrations of imidacloprid, clothianidin, thiamethoxam, and thiacloprid.
  • Assessment of learning, memory, circadian rhythmicity, and sleep patterns.
  • Analysis of pigment dispersing factor (PDF) neuropeptide accumulation in clock neurons.
  • Genetic manipulation (knockdown) of specific nAChR subunits (Dα1, Dβ2) in relevant brain regions.

Main Results:

  • Imidacloprid, clothianidin, and thiamethoxam disrupted learning, circadian rhythmicity, and sleep.
  • Thiacloprid exposure primarily affected sleep patterns.
  • Imidacloprid and clothianidin interfered with the daily remodeling of PDF neuropeptide in clock neurons.
  • Knockdown of Dα1 and Dβ2 nAChR subunits mimicked neonicotinoid-induced deficits in memory and circadian behavior, respectively.

Conclusions:

  • Field-relevant neonicotinoid concentrations significantly impair critical behaviors in Drosophila, including learning, circadian rhythms, and sleep.
  • These disruptions, mediated by nAChR signaling, have potentially severe consequences for beneficial insect populations and ecosystem functions like pollination.