Using the Honey Bee (Apis mellifera L.) Cell Line AmE‐711 to Evaluate Insecticide Toxicity

One of the main contributors to poor productivity and elevated mortality of honey bee colonies globally is insecticide exposure. Whole‐organism and colony‐level studies have demonstrated the effects of insecticides on many aspects of honey bee biology and have also shown their interactions with pathogens. However, there is a need for in vitro studies using cell lines to provide greater illumination of the effects of insecticides on honey bee cellular and molecular processes. We used a continuous cell line established from honey bee embryonic tissues (AmE‐711) in assays that enabled assessment of cell viability in response to insecticide exposure. We exposed AmE‐711 cells to four formulations, each containing a different insecticide. Treatment of cells with the insecticides resulted in a concentration‐dependent reduction in viability after a 24‐h exposure, whereas long‐term exposure (120 h) to sublethal concentrations had limited effects on viability. The 24‐h exposure data allowed us to predict the half‐maximal lethal concentration (LC50) for each insecticide using a four‐parameter logistical model. We then exposed cells for 12 h to the predicted LC50 and observed changes in morphology that would indicate stress and death. Reverse transcription–quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis corroborated changes in morphology: expression of a cellular stress response gene, 410087a, increased after an 18‐h exposure to the predicted LC50. Demonstration of the effects of insecticides through use of AmE‐711 provides a foundation for additional research addressing issues specific to honey bee toxicology and complements whole‐organism and colony‐level approaches. Moreover, advances in the use of AmE‐711 in high‐throughput screening and in‐depth analysis of cell regulatory networks will promote the discovery of novel control agents with decreased negative impacts on honey bees. Environ Toxicol Chem 2023;42:88–99. Published 2022. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.