Toxicity mechanism of lead on bumblebees: from gene expression to gut microbiota analysis

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Introduction: Heavy metal pollution poses a persistent global threat to pollinator health and biodiversity. Lead is environmentally stable and can induce multifaceted physiological disorders in pollinating insects. However, the comprehensive toxic impacts of lead on bumblebees, particularly the interconnections between host gene expression and gut microbiota, remain largely underexplored. Methods: individuals were chronically exposed to three lead concentrations (0.95, 3.6, and 80 mg/L), selected based on acute toxicity data and field-relevant pollution levels. Following oral exposure via sugar water, we examined the expression profiles of genes associated with learning and memory, detoxification, and immune defense, as well as structural alterations in gut microbial communities. Results: . Gut microbiota profiling further revealed distinct operational taxonomic unit (OTU) distributions across treatment groups, indicating that lead exposure reshaped the diversity and community structure of bumblebee gut microbes. Discussion: These findings uncover the coordinated toxic responses of host genes and gut bacteria under lead stress, and provide critical insights for a more comprehensive assessment of the ecological risks that heavy metal pollution poses to bumblebee populations.

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