Using a conditioned place preference assay in fruit flies to examine effects of insecticidal compounds on contextual memory

Yachen Wang; Shaodong Guo; Tomer Ventura; Volker Herzig

doi:10.1016/j.toxicon.2024.108128

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Using a conditioned place preference assay in fruit flies to examine effects of insecticidal compounds on contextual memory

Journal article

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Using a conditioned place preference assay in fruit flies to examine effects of insecticidal compounds on contextual memory

Yachen Wang, Shaodong Guo, Tomer Ventura and Volker Herzig

Toxicon, Vol.251, pp.1-8

2024

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.toxicon.2024.108128

PMID: 39413976

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Abstract

insect learning behaviour

Drosophila melanogaster

Imidacloprid

spider venom peptides

bioinsecticide

Insecticides are vital for safeguarding agricultural crops against pests, albeit many lack selectivity towards pest species and are poorly bio-degradable. This leads to targeting of beneficial organisms like pollinators and widespread environmental contamination of soil and water. Exposure to insecticides such as neonicotinoids causes insect paralysis and mortality at higher doses, while sublethal doses can disrupt other functions that are crucial for survival such as learning and memory performance. Potent and selective arachnid venom peptides affecting a variety of molecular targets are being explored as bioinsecticide candidates. However, their effect on insect learning is poorly understood. We therefore established a sucrose-induced conditioned place preference (CPP) assay using Drosophila melanogaster fruit flies to provide a means of evaluating how various classes of insecticidal compounds interact with insect memory to assess their broader ecological consequences. Our results confirmed the adverse effect of a sublethal dose of the neonicotinoid insecticide imidacloprid (20 pg/fly) on fly CPP formation upon daily injection during the conditioning phase. However, imidacloprid did not affect CPP retrieval when applied after the conditioning phase. Sublethal doses of the two insecticidal spider venom peptides μ-DGTX-Dc1a (Dc1a; 70 pg/fly) and U1-AGTX-Ta1a (Ta1a; 125 pg/fly) had no effect on either CPP formation or retrieval, underlining their potential as novel and safe bioinsecticide candidates.

Details

Title: Using a conditioned place preference assay in fruit flies to examine effects of insecticidal compounds on contextual memory
Authors: Yachen Wang - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Centre for Bioinnovation
Shaodong Guo - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Centre for Bioinnovation
Tomer Ventura - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Centre for Bioinnovation
Volker Herzig - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Centre for Bioinnovation
Publication details: Toxicon, Vol.251, pp.1-8
Publisher: Elsevier Ltd
Date published: 2024
DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2024.108128
ISSN: 1879-3150
PMID: 39413976
Data Availability: Data will be made available on request.
Grants: Be(e) friendly venomous spiders! Novel biopesticides from arachnid venoms, FT190100482, Australian Research Council (Australia, Canberra) - ARC
Organisation Unit: School of Science, Technology and Engineering; Centre for Bioinnovation
Language: English
Record Identifier: 991066154802621
Output Type: Journal article

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