title: Biophysical characterization of theVarroa destructorNaV1 sodium channel and its affinity for τ-fluvalinate insecticide.
abstract: The decline of the western honeybee (Apis mellifera) has been reported to be due to parasitism byVarroa destructormites and to colony collapse disorder in which these mites may be involved. In-hive chemicals such as τ-fluvalinate are being used to controlVdestructorpopulations. This approach may lead to the chronic exposure of bees to this liposoluble chemical, which tends to accumulate in hives. We cloned a variant of theV. destructorvoltage-dependent sodium (VdNaV1) channel and studied its biophysical characteristics and sensitivity to τ-fluvalinate using theXenopusoocyte expression system and the 2-microelectrode voltage-clamp technique. We compared the affinity of VdNaV1 for τ-fluvalinate with the honeybee voltage-dependent sodium ortholog. Our results showed that the honeybee sodium channel is more sensitive to τ-fluvalinate than theV. destructorchannel, suggesting that care must be taken when treating hives with this chemical.-Gosselin-Badaroudine, P., Chahine, M. Biophysical characterization of theVarroa destructorNaV1 sodium channel and its affinity for τ-fluvalinate insecticide.
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherche, Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Québec, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Pascal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gosselin-Badaroudine
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherche, Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Québec, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada; mohamed.chahine@phc.ulaval.ca.|Department of Medicine, Université Laval, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chahine
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D060829:Arthropod Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D001516:Bees / Q000469:parasitology; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology; D007306:Insecticides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009570:Nitriles / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009865:Oocytes; D000071184:Pharmacogenomic Variants; D011722:Pyrethrins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015222:Sodium Channels / Q000378:metabolism*; D057077:Varroidae / Q000378:metabolism*; D014981:Xenopus
chemical_list: D060829:Arthropod Proteins; D007306:Insecticides; D009570:Nitriles; D011722:Pyrethrins; D015222:Sodium Channels; C034227:fluvalinate
keywords: NaV1; Xenopus oocytes; voltage-gated sodium channels