Identification of circular RNAs and corresponding regulatory networks reveals potential roles in the brains of honey bee workers exposed to dinotefuran

Abstract Honey bees are important and highly efficient pollinators of agricultural crops and have been negatively affected by insecticides in recent years. Circular RNA (circRNA) plays an important role in the regulation of multiple biological and pathological processes; however, its role in the honey bee brain after exposure to dinotefuran is not well understood. Here, the expression profiles and potential modulation networks of circRNAs in the brains of workers (Apis mellifera) were comprehensively investigated using RNA sequencing and bioinformatics. In total, 33, 144, and 211 differentially expressed (DE) circRNAs were identified on the 1st, 5th and 10th days after exposure to dinotefuran, respectively. Enrichment analyses revealed that the host genes of DE circRNAs were enriched in the Hippo signaling pathway-fly, Wnt signaling pathway, and neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction. circ_0002266, circ_0005080, circ_0010239 and circ_0005415 were found to have translational potential due to the presence of an internal ribosome entry site (IRES). An integrated analysis of the DE circRNA-miRNA-mRNA networks suggest that circ_0008898 and circ_0001829 may participate in the immune response to dinotefuran exposure by acting as miRNA sponges. Our results provide invaluable basic data on A. mellifera brain circRNA patterns and a molecular basis for further study of the biological function of circRNAs in the development and immune response of honey bees.