Metabolic Assays and RNAi-Based Functional Characterization of the P450 Gene <i>CYP6AQ1</i> under Environmental Stress in <i>Apis cerana cerana</i>

Cytochrome P450 monooxygenases are crucial for insect detoxification of xenobiotics. Here, we investigate the function of <i>CYP6AQ1</i> from <i>Apis cerana cerana</i> (<i>AccCYP6AQ1</i>) in response to pesticide and heavy metal stress. This study reveals that <i>AccCYP6AQ1</i> is significantly induced by pyrethroid insecticides. <i>In vitro</i> assays demonstrate that the encoded protein directly metabolizes cypermethrin and deltamethrin. Furthermore, through RNAi-mediated silencing, we find that <i>AccCYP6AQ1</i> also mitigates cadmium- and mercury-induced toxicity. These results indicate that <i>AccCYP6AQ1</i> participates in a multifunctional detoxification pathway, providing protection against both pesticides and heavy metals. Our results suggest that <i>AccCYP6AQ1</i> is part of a broader detoxification network, likely representing an ecological adaptation of honey bees to complex chemical mixtures in agricultural environments.