TY  - JOUR
A1  - Brenzinger, Kristof
A1  - Maihoff, Fabienne
A1  - Peters, Marcell K.
A1  - Schimmer, Leonie
A1  - Bischler, Thorsten
A1  - Classen, Alice
T1  - Temperature and livestock grazing trigger transcriptome responses in bumblebees along an elevational gradient
JF  - iScience
N2  - Climate and land-use changes cause increasing stress to pollinators but the molecular pathways underlying stress responses are poorly understood. Here, we analyzed the transcriptomic response of Bombus lucorum workers to temperature and livestock grazing. Bumblebees sampled along an elevational gradient, and from differently managed grassland sites (livestock grazing vs unmanaged) in the German Alps did not differ in the expression of genes known for thermal stress responses. Instead, metabolic energy production pathways were upregulated in bumblebees sampled in mid- or high elevations or during cool temperatures. Extensive grazing pressure led to an upregulation of genetic pathways involved in immunoregulation and DNA-repair. We conclude that widespread bumblebees are tolerant toward temperature fluctuations in temperate mountain environments. Moderate temperature increases may even release bumblebees from metabolic stress. However, transcriptome responses to even moderate management regimes highlight the completely underestimated complexity of human influence on natural pollinators.
KW  - bumblebees
KW  - stress
KW  - transcriptomic response
KW  - climate changes
Y1  - 2022
U6  - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-301276
VL  - 25
IS  - 10
ER  -