Toxic effects of the combined cadmium and Cry1Ab protein exposure on the protective and transcriptomic responses of Pirata subpiraticus

Cadmium (Cd) pollution poses a serious threat to agricultural production and paddy field fauna. Crystalline proteins (e.g., Cry1Ab and Cry1Ac) are secreted by Bacillus thuringiensis, which can manage pests via a complicated toxic mechanism and have been widely used for pest control due to the commercialization of transgenic crops (e.g., cotton and rice) that expresses Bt insecticidal proteins. Nonetheless, studies on the effects of combined stress of Cd and Cry1Ab protein on field indicator species are limited. In the present study, we showed that spiders, Pirata subpiraticus, fed with Cd-containing flies+Cry1Ab had dramatically higher Cd accumulation than that in the spiders fed with Cd-containing flies (p < 0.05). In addition, the enrichment of Cd led to the activation of the protective mechanism by elevating the concentrations of glutathione peroxidase, glutathione S-transferase, and metallothionein in the spiders (p < 0.05). An in-depth transcriptome analysis revealed that the activities of ion metal binding proteins, transporters, and channels might play essential roles in the Cd accumulation process. More importantly, the higher Cd concentration in the combined Cd+Cry1Ab exposure prolonged developmental duration of P. subpiraticus, due to the down-regulated cuticle proteins (CPs) encoding genes involved in the molting process, which was regulated by a series of putative transcriptional factors such as ZBTB and zf-C2H2. Collectively, this integrated analysis illustrates that the combined Cd+Cry1Ab exposure increases the adverse effects of Cd stress on the growth, anti-oxidase, and CPs encoding genes of P. subpiraticus, thus providing a research basis and prospect for the rationality of transgenic Cry1Ab crops in the cultivation of heavy metal contaminated soil.

Automated summary

Cadmium pollution poses a serious threat to agricultural production and paddy field fauna. This study explores the effects of combined stress of Cd and Cry1Ab protein on a field indicator species, spiders. The findings reveal that Cd accumulation is significantly higher in spiders fed with Cd-containing flies and Cry1Ab protein, and the protective mechanism is activated. Transcriptome analysis suggests the involvement of ion metal binding proteins, transporters, and channels in the Cd accumulation process. Additionally, the combined stress prolongs the developmental duration of spiders and down-regulates the genes involved in the molting process. These findings provide a research basis for the cultivation of transgenic Cry1Ab crops in heavy metal contaminated soil.