Effect of microplastic pollution on the gut microbiome of anecic and endogeic earthworms.
FEMS Microbiol Lett
; 3712024 Jan 09.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38849299
ABSTRACT
Microplastic (MP) pollution constitutes an emerging type of pollution threatening both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. The impact on aquatic ecosystems has been extensively studied, but the effect on terrestrial ecosystems and their inhabitants is mostly underexplored. In this study, we explored the effect of MP pollution on gut bacterial microbiome of endogeic (Aporrectodea caliginosa) and anecic (Lumbricus terrestris) earthworms. The experiments were performed in sandy soil with 0.2% of low-density polyethylene MPs (LDPE MPs). We observed that the endogeic earthworms had 100% survival, while anecic earthworms survived 25 days in the control (i.e. in absence of MPs) and 21 days in the treatment with LDPE MPs. The main driver of shifts in the diversity and composition of the bacterial communities in the gut of tested earthworms was the lifestyle of the worms, followed by the presence of MPs. The bacterial microbiome diversity was significantly different among the two types of earthworms, and the highest bacterial diversity was found in the gut of the endogeic earthworms. The effect of MPs on gut bacterial microbiome was clearly observed in the changes in the relative abundance of several phyla and families of the bacterial communities in both types of earthworms, although it was most evident in the anecic earthworms. The Actinobacteriota, Proteobacteria, and Firmicutes were the main groups enhanced in the MP treatments, suggesting enrichment of the bacterial communities with potential plastic degraders.
Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Oligoquetos
/
Microbioma Gastrointestinal
/
Microplásticos
Límite:
Animals
Idioma:
En
Revista:
FEMS Microbiol Lett
Año:
2024
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Países Bajos
Pais de publicación:
Reino Unido