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Frontiers in Immunology 2023Earthworms are affected by physical stress, like injury, and by exposure to xenobiotics, such as the toxic metal cadmium (Cd), which enters the environment mainly...
Earthworms are affected by physical stress, like injury, and by exposure to xenobiotics, such as the toxic metal cadmium (Cd), which enters the environment mainly through industry and agriculture. The stress response to the single and the combination of both stressors was examined in regenerative and unharmed tissue of to reveal if the stress response to a natural insult like injury (amputation) interferes with Cd detoxification mechanisms. We characterized the roles of metallothionein 1 (MT1) and MT2 isoforms, heat shock protein 70 as well as immune biomarkers such as the toll-like receptors (TLR) single cysteine cluster TLR and multiple cysteine cluster TLR. The role of the activated transcription factors (ATFs) ATF2, ATF7, and the cAMP responsive element binding protein as putative regulatory intersection as well as a stress-dependent change of the essential trace elements zinc and calcium was analyzed. Phosphorylated AMP activated protein kinase, the cellular energy sensor, was measured to explore the energy demand, while the energy status was determined by detecting carbohydrate and protein levels. Taken together, we were able to show that injury rather than Cd is the driving force that separates the four treatment groups - Control, Cd exposure, Injury, Cd exposure and injury. Interestingly, we found that gene expression differed regarding the tissue section that was analyzed and we hypothesize that this is due to the migration of coelomocytes, earthworm immune cells, that take over a key role in protecting the organism from a variety of environmental challenges. Surprisingly, we discovered a role for MT1 in the response to multiple stressors and an isoform-specific function for the two newly characterized TLRs. In conclusion, we gathered novel information on the relation of innate immunity, wound healing, and Cd detoxification mechanisms in earthworms.
Topics: Animals; Cadmium; Oligochaeta; Cysteine; Zinc; Toll-Like Receptors; Wound Healing
PubMed: 38116011
DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1272191 -
Probiotics and Antimicrobial Proteins Apr 2024The emergence of multidrug-resistant pathogens due to improper usage of conventional antibiotics has created a global health crisis. Alternatives to antibiotics being an... (Review)
Review
The emergence of multidrug-resistant pathogens due to improper usage of conventional antibiotics has created a global health crisis. Alternatives to antibiotics being an urgent need, the scientific community is forced to search for new antimicrobials. This exploration has led to the discovery of antimicrobial peptides, a group of small peptides occurring in different phyla such as Porifera, Cnidaria, Annelida, Arthropoda, Mollusca, Echinodermata, and Chordata, as a component of their innate immune system. The marine environment, possessing immense diversity of organisms, is undoubtedly one of the richest sources of unique potential antimicrobial peptides. The distinctiveness of marine antimicrobial peptides lies in their broad-spectrum activity, mechanism of action, less cytotoxicity, and high stability, which form the benchmark for developing a potential therapeutic. This review aims to (1) synthesise the available information on the distinctive antimicrobial peptides discovered from marine organisms, particularly over the last decade, and (2) discuss the distinctiveness of marine antimicrobial peptides and their prospects.
Topics: Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Antimicrobial Peptides; Cnidaria; Echinodermata
PubMed: 37022565
DOI: 10.1007/s12602-023-10061-x -
The Science of the Total Environment Dec 2023As antimony (Sb) has been increasingly used in manufacturing industries (e.g., alloy, polymer and electronics industries), Sb contamination in the soil environment...
As antimony (Sb) has been increasingly used in manufacturing industries (e.g., alloy, polymer and electronics industries), Sb contamination in the soil environment becomes widely reported and has drawn growing attention due to the toxicity of Sb to living organisms. Whether soil-dwelling organisms can tolerate Sb toxicity and maintain their ecological functions remains poorly understood. Using a cosmopolitan, ecologically important earthworm species (Eisenia fetida) as an ideal model organism, we examine the effects of Sb on the physiological, molecular and behavioural responses of earthworms to different levels of Sb contamination in soil (0, 10, 50, 100, 250 and 500 mg/kg). We found that earthworms could tolerate heavy Sb contamination (100 mg/kg) by boosting their antioxidant defence (POD and GST) and immune systems (ACP) so that their body weight and survival rate were sustained (c.f. control). However, these systems were compromised under extreme Sb contamination (500 mg/kg), leading to mortality. As such, earthworms exhibited avoidance behaviour to escape from the Sb-contaminated soil, implying the loss of their ecological contributions to the environment (e.g., increase in soil aeration and maintenance of soil structure). By measuring various types of biomarkers along a concentration gradient, this study provides a mechanistic understanding of how earthworms resist or succumb to Sb toxicity. Since extreme Sb contamination in soil (>100 mg/kg) is rarely found in nature, we are optimistic that the health and performance of earthworms are not influenced by Sb in most circumstances, but regular monitoring of Sb in soil is recommended to ensure the integrity and functioning of soil environment. Further studies are recommended to evaluate the long-term impact of Sb in the soil ecosystem through bioaccumulation and trophic transfer among soil-dwelling organisms.
Topics: Animals; Soil; Oligochaeta; Antimony; Ecosystem; Soil Pollutants
PubMed: 37586541
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166305 -
Environmental Pollution (Barking, Essex... Nov 2023Biodegradable microplastics (BMPs) pose serious environmental problems to soil organisms, and their adsorption capacity might make pesticides more dangerous for soil...
Biodegradable microplastics (BMPs) pose serious environmental problems to soil organisms, and their adsorption capacity might make pesticides more dangerous for soil organisms. Therefore, in this study, polylactic acid (PLA) BMPs and imidacloprid (IMI) were used as a representative of BMPs and pesticides, respectively. Eisenia fetida was used as a test animal to investigate the effects of environmentally relevant concentrations of single and compound contaminated PLA BMPs and IMI on mortality, growth, number of offspring, tissue damage, and gut microorganisms of E.fetida. Exposure to PLA BMPs treatment and PLA BMPs + IMI treatment resulted in a sustained increase in E.fetida mortality, reaching 16.7% and 26.7%, respectively. The growth inhibition rate of single treatments was significantly increased. The compound contamination had the greatest effect on E.fetida offspring compared to the control. PLA BMPs and IMI cause histological damage to E.fetida, with the compound treatment causing the most severe damage. Based on the results of 16S sequencing, the bacterial communities in E.fetida gut and soil treated to PLA BMPs and IMI were significantly different. PLA BMPs + IMI treatment suppresses the abundance and diversity of E.fetida gut microorganisms, disrupting the homeostasis of bacterial communities and causing immune and metabolic dysfunction. These findings highlight the more severe damage of combined PLA BMPs and IMI pollution to E.fetida, and help to assess the risk of earthworm exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations of PLA BMPs and IMI.
Topics: Animals; Microplastics; Plastics; Oligochaeta; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Soil Pollutants; Pesticides; Polyesters; Soil
PubMed: 37709123
DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122547 -
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Apr 2024Periphyton is a complex community composed of diverse prokaryotes and eukaryotes; understanding the characteristics of microbial communities within periphyton becomes...
Periphyton is a complex community composed of diverse prokaryotes and eukaryotes; understanding the characteristics of microbial communities within periphyton becomes crucial for biogeochemical cycles and energy dynamics of aquatic ecosystems. To further elucidate the community characteristics of periphyton across varied aquatic habitats, including unpolluted ecologically restored lakes, aquaculture ponds, and areas adjacent to domestic and industrial wastewater treatment plant outfalls, we explored the composition and diversity of prokaryotic and eukaryotic communities in periphyton by employing Illumina MiSeq sequencing. Our findings indicated that the prokaryotic communities were predominantly composed of Proteobacteria (40.92%), Bacteroidota (21.01%), and Cyanobacteria (10.12%), whereas the eukaryotic communities were primarily characterized by the dominance of Bacillariophyta (24.09%), Chlorophyta (20.83%), and Annelida (15.31%). Notably, Flavobacterium emerged as a widely distributed genus among the prokaryotic community. Unclassified_Tobrilidae exhibited higher abundance in unpolluted ecologically restored lakes. Chaetogaster and Nais were enriched in aquaculture ponds and domestic wastewater treatment plant outfall area, respectively, while Surirella and Gomphonema dominated industrial sewage treatment plant outfall area. The alpha diversity of eukaryotes was higher in unpolluted ecologically restored lakes. pH and nitrogen content ( , , and TN) significantly explained the variations for prokaryotic and eukaryotic community structures, respectively. Eukaryotic communities exhibited a more pronounced response to habitat variations compared to prokaryotic communities. Moreover, the association networks revealed an intensive positive correlation between dominant Bacillariophyta and Bacteroidota. This study provided useful data for identifying keystone species and understanding their ecological functions.
Topics: Animals; Periphyton; Environmental Monitoring; Microbiota; Aquaculture; Bacteroidetes; Diatoms; Oligochaeta
PubMed: 38607460
DOI: 10.1007/s10661-024-12599-x -
ZooKeys 2023The DNA taxonomy of six species of the annelid family Lumbrineridae collected from the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ) in the Central Pacific, an area of potential mining...
The DNA taxonomy of six species of the annelid family Lumbrineridae collected from the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ) in the Central Pacific, an area of potential mining interest for polymetallic nodules, is presented. Lumbrinerids are an ecologically important and understudied annelid family within the deep sea, with many species still undescribed. This study aims to document the taxonomy and biodiversity of the CCZ using specimens collected from the UK-1, OMS, and NORI-D exploration contract areas and Areas of Particular Environmental Interest. Species were identified through a combination of morphological and molecular phylogenetic analysis. We present informal species descriptions associated with voucher specimens, accessible through the Natural History Museum (London) collections, to improve future taxonomic and biodiversity studies of this region. Five taxa in this study had no morphological or genetic matches within the literature and therefore are possibly new to science, but their suboptimal morphological preservation prevented the formalisation of new species. The most abundant taxon Lumbrineridescf.laubieri (NHM_0020) was compared with the holotype of Miura, 1980 from the deep Northeast Atlantic. Currently no reliable morphological characters separating the Pacific and Atlantic specimens have been found and molecular data from the Atlantic specimens was not available.
PubMed: 37538355
DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1172.100483 -
BMC Genomics Oct 2023Restorative regeneration, the capacity to reform a lost body part following amputation or injury, is an important and still poorly understood process in animals....
BACKGROUND
Restorative regeneration, the capacity to reform a lost body part following amputation or injury, is an important and still poorly understood process in animals. Annelids, or segmented worms, show amazing regenerative capabilities, and as such are a crucial group to investigate. Elucidating the molecular mechanisms that underpin regeneration in this major group remains a key goal. Among annelids, the nereididae Platynereis dumerilii (re)emerged recently as a front-line regeneration model. Following amputation of its posterior part, Platynereis worms can regenerate both differentiated tissues of their terminal part as well as a growth zone that contains putative stem cells. While this regeneration process follows specific and reproducible stages that have been well characterized, the transcriptomic landscape of these stages remains to be uncovered.
RESULTS
We generated a high-quality de novo Reference transcriptome for the annelid Platynereis dumerilii. We produced and analyzed three RNA-sequencing datasets, encompassing five stages of posterior regeneration, along with blastema stages and non-amputated tissues as controls. We included two of these regeneration RNA-seq datasets, as well as embryonic and tissue-specific datasets from the literature to produce a Reference transcriptome. We used this Reference transcriptome to perform in depth analyzes of RNA-seq data during the course of regeneration to reveal the important dynamics of the gene expression, process with thousands of genes differentially expressed between stages, as well as unique and specific gene expression at each regeneration stage. The study of these genes highlighted the importance of the nervous system at both early and late stages of regeneration, as well as the enrichment of RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) during almost the entire regeneration process.
CONCLUSIONS
In this study, we provided a high-quality de novo Reference transcriptome for the annelid Platynereis that is useful for investigating various developmental processes, including regeneration. Our extensive stage-specific transcriptional analysis during the course of posterior regeneration sheds light upon major molecular mechanisms and pathways, and will foster many specific studies in the future.
Topics: Animals; Transcriptome; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; Annelida; Polychaeta; Gene Expression Profiling
PubMed: 37784028
DOI: 10.1186/s12864-023-09602-z -
Artificial Cells, Nanomedicine, and... Dec 2024Haemorrhagic shock is a leading cause of death worldwide. Blood transfusions can be used to treat patients suffering severe blood loss but donated red blood cells (RBCs)...
Haemorrhagic shock is a leading cause of death worldwide. Blood transfusions can be used to treat patients suffering severe blood loss but donated red blood cells (RBCs) have several limitations that limit their availability and use. To solve the problems associated with donated RBCs, several acellular haemoglobin-based oxygen carriers (HBOCs) have been developed to restore the most important function of blood: oxygen transport. One promising HBOC is the naturally extracellular haemoglobin (i.e. erythrocruorin) of (LtEc). The goal of this study was to maximise the portability of LtEc by lyophilising it and then testing its stability at elevated temperatures. To prevent oxidation, several cryoprotectants were screened to determine the optimum formulation for lyophilisation that could minimise oxidation of the haem iron and maximise recovery. Furthermore, samples were also deoxygenated prior to storage to decrease auto-oxidation, while resuspension in a solution containing ascorbic acid was shown to partially reduce LtEc that had oxidised during storage (e.g. from 42% Fe to 11% Fe). Analysis of the oxygen equilibria and size of the resuspended LtEc showed that the lyophilisation, storage, and resuspension processes did not affect the oxygen transport properties or the structure of the LtEc, even after 6 months of storage at 40 °C. Altogether, these efforts have yielded a shelf-stable LtEc powder that can be stored for long periods at high temperatures, but future animal studies will be necessary to prove that the resuspended product is a safe and effective oxygen transporter .
Topics: Animals; Freeze Drying; Oligochaeta; Hemoglobins; Oxygen; Oxidation-Reduction; Blood Substitutes
PubMed: 38733371
DOI: 10.1080/21691401.2024.2352003 -
The Science of the Total Environment Nov 2023The contribution of bio-based plastics in the global market is gradually growing and diversifying. Therefore, it is necessary to assess their environmental impact...
The contribution of bio-based plastics in the global market is gradually growing and diversifying. Therefore, it is necessary to assess their environmental impact including the biotic parts of ecosystems. Earthworms are regarded as functionally essential and useful bioindicators of ecological disturbances in the terrestrial ecosystems. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of three innovative bio-based plastics on earthworms Eisenia andrei in the long-term experiments. It comprised the mortality, body mass and reproduction ability of earthworms as well as the oxidative stress response. Regarding the latter the activities of catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) involved in the antioxidant system of earthworms were determined. Two out of three bio-based materials tested were polylactic acid-based (PLA-based) plastics, while one was poly(hydroxybutyrate-co-valerate)-based (PHBV-based) plastic. Neither mortality nor weight of adult earthworms was affected even at high concentration of the bio-based plastics up to 12.5 % w/w in the soil. Reproduction ability occurred to be more sensitive endpoint than mortality or body mass. At the concentration of 12.5 % w/w each of the studied bio-based plastics contributed to the decrease of the earthworm reproduction at statistically significant level. PLA-based plastics exerted stronger effect on earthworm reproduction ability than PHBV-based plastic did. CAT activity turned out to be a good indicator of the cellular response against oxidative stress induced by bio-based plastics in earthworms. The activity of this enzyme increased in the response to the exposure to the bio-based plastics compared to the level achieved in the control tests. It was from 16 % to about 84 % dependent on the material tested and its concentration in the soil. Finally, the reproduction ability and catalase activity are recommended to be used in the evaluation of the potential impacts of bio-based plastics on earthworms.
Topics: Animals; Microplastics; Catalase; Plastics; Oligochaeta; Ecosystem; Soil; Antioxidants; Polyesters; Soil Pollutants
PubMed: 37433336
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165423 -
PeerJ 2024, a genus of freshwater macrophagous leeches, belongs to Erpobdelliformes (Salifidae: Clitellata: Annelida), and , a well-known leech within this genus, has a worldwide...
BACKGROUND
, a genus of freshwater macrophagous leeches, belongs to Erpobdelliformes (Salifidae: Clitellata: Annelida), and , a well-known leech within this genus, has a worldwide distribution. However, the systematics of have not yet been adequately investigated, primarily due to a few molecular markers, and only 20 sequences available in the GenBank database. This gap significantly limits our understanding of the species identification, as well as the phylogenetic placement of the genus within Salifidae.
METHODS
Next-generation sequencing (NGS) was used to simultaneously capture the entire mitochondrial genome and the full-length 18S/28S rDNA sequences. The species boundary of species was estimated using bGMYC and bPTP methods, based on all available COI sequences. Uncorrected COI p-distance was calculated in MEGA. A molecular data matrix consisting of four loci (COI, 12S, 18S, and 28S rDNA) for outgroups (three leeches) and 49 erpobdellid leeches, representing eight genera within the Suborder Erpobdelliformes was aligned using MAFFT and LocARNA. This matrix was used to reconstruct the phylogenetic relationship of Bayesian inference (BI) and the maximum likelihood (ML) method.
RESULTS
The full lengths of the mitochondrial genome, 18S and 28S rDNAs of . cf. , are 14847 bp, 1876 bp 1876 bp, and 2863 bp, respectively. Both bGMYC and bPTP results based on COI data are generally congruent, suggesting that the previously proposed taxa (, . formosana, and . or ) are synonyms of . . The specimens listed in the group, however, are split into at least two Primary Species Hypotheses (PSHs). The p-distance of the first PSH is less than 1.3% but increased to 4.5% when including the secondary PSH (., . cf. ). In comparison, the interspecific p-distance between the group and the group ranged from 6.4% to 8.7%, and the intraspecific p-distance within the group is less than 0.8%. Considering the species delimitation results and the sufficient large p-distance, the specimen sampled in China is treated as . cf. . The monophyly of the four Erpobdelliformes families Salifidae, Orobdellidae, Gastrostomobdellidae and Erpobdellidae is well supported in ML and BI analysis based on a data of four markers. Within the Salifidae, a well-supported is closely related to a clade containing and , and these three genera are sister to a clade consisted of and . According to the results of this study, the strategy of simultaneous obtaining both whole mitochondria and nuclear markers from extensively sampled Salifids species using NGS is expected to fathom both the species diversity of and the evolutionary relationship of Salifidae.
Topics: Animals; Phylogeny; Genome, Mitochondrial; Leeches; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing; RNA, Ribosomal, 28S
PubMed: 38827288
DOI: 10.7717/peerj.17480