AUTHOR=Wei Fenghua , Wu Shuangxin , Li Long 

TITLE=Long-term exposure to environmental concentration of dinotefuran disrupts ecdysis and sex ratio by dysregulating related gene expressions in Chironomus kiinensis

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Endocrinology

VOLUME=15

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/endocrinology/articles/10.3389/fendo.2024.1459329

DOI=10.3389/fendo.2024.1459329

ISSN=1664-2392

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Introduction</title><p>Currently, although there have been a few reports on the endocrine-disrupting effects of neonicotinoids, the effect on Chironomidae during long-term exposure remains unknown.</p></sec><sec><title>Methods</title><p>Ecdysis and sex ratio, along with ecdysone-relevant gene expressions of representative neonicotinoid dinotefuran on <italic>Chironomus kiinensis</italic> were investigated at different environmental concentrations by long-term exposure.</p></sec><sec><title>Results</title><p>A low dose of dinotefuran delayed pupation and emergence via inhibiting ecdysis. Sex ratios of adults shifted toward male-dominated populations with the concentration of dinotefuran increasing. The corresponding transcriptions of ecdysis genes <italic>ecr, usp, E74</italic>, and <italic>hsp70</italic> were significantly downregulated in the midge. For estrogen effects, the <italic>vtg</italic> gene expression was upregulated, but there was no significant change for the <italic>err</italic> gene.</p></sec><sec><title>Discussion</title><p>These results would improve our understanding of the endocrine-disrupting mechanisms of neonicotinoid insecticides to Chironomidae and provide data support for assessing their potential environmental risks.</p></sec>