Concentration-dependent effects of acute and chronic neonicotinoid exposure on the behaviour and development of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans

Abstract

Background: neonicotinoids insecticides are under review due to emerging toxicity to non-target species. Interest has focused on biological pollinators whilst their effects on other organisms that are key contributors to the ecosystem remain largely unknown. To advance this we have tested the effects of representatives of three major classes of neonicotinoids, thiacloprid, clothianidin and nitenpyram on the free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans), as a representative of the Nematoda, an ecologically important phylum contributing to biomass.

Results: concentrations that are several-fold higher than those with effects against target species had limited impact on locomotor function. However, increased potency was observed in a mutant with a hyper-permeable cuticle which shows that drug access limits the effects of the neonicotinoids in C. elegans. Thiacloprid was most potent (EC50 714 µM). In addition, it selectively delayed larval development in wild-type worms at 1 mM.

Conclusions: C. elegans is less susceptible to neonicotinoids than target species of pest insect. We discuss an approach in which this defined low sensitivity may be exploited by heterologous expression of insect nicotinic acetylcholine receptors from both pest and beneficial insects, in transgenic C. elegans with increased cuticle permeability to provide a whole organism assay for species-dependent neonicotinoid effects.

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ORCID for Linda Holden-Dye: orcid.org/0000-0002-9704-1217

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