Referenced in: none

Automatically associated channels: TRP

Title: Effect of a thymol application on olfactory memory and gene expression levels in the brain of the honeybee Apis mellifera.

Authors: Elsa Bonnafé, Florian Drouard, Lucie Hotier, Jean-Luc Carayon, Pierre Marty, Michel Treilhou, Catherine Armengaud

Journal, date & volume: Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2015 Jun , 22, 8022-30

PubMed link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24590599

Abstract
Essential oils are used by beekeepers to control the Varroa mites that infest honeybee colonies. So, bees can be exposed to thymol formulations in the hive. The effects of the monoterpenoid thymol were explored on olfactory memory and gene expression in the brain of the honeybee. In bees previously exposed to thymol (10 or 100 ng/bee), the specificity of the response to the conditioned stimulus (CS) was lost 24 h after learning. Besides, the octopamine receptor OA1 gene Amoa1 showed a significant decrease of expression 3 h after exposure with 10 or 100 ng/bee of thymol. With the same doses, expression of Rdl gene, coding for a GABA receptor subunit, was not significantly modified but the trpl gene was upregulated 1 and 24 h after exposure to thymol. These data indicated that the genes coding for the cellular targets of thymol could be rapidly regulated after exposure to this molecule. Memory and sensory processes should be investigated in bees after chronic exposure in the hive to thymol-based preparations.