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Mutual interactions of E. andrei earthworm and pathogens during the process of vermicomposting

  • Earthworm and Soil Pollution
  • Published:
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Abstract

Vermicomposting is a process by which earthworms together with microorganisms degrade organic wastes into a humus-like material called vermicompost. This process does not include a thermophilic stage, and therefore, the possible presence of pathogens represents a potential health hazard. To elucidate the effect of earthworms in the selective reduction of pathogens, grape marc substrate was artificially inoculated with Escherichia coli, Enterococcus spp., thermotolerant coliform bacteria (TCB), and Salmonella spp., and their reduction during vermicomposting was monitored. Various defense mechanisms eliminating microorganisms in the earthworm gut were assumed to be involved in the process of pathogen reduction. Therefore, we followed the expression of three pattern recognition receptors (coelomic cytolytic factor (CCF), lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP), and Toll-like receptor (v-TLR)), two antimicrobial molecules (fetidin/lysenins and lysozyme), and heat shock protein HSP70. We detected the significant decrease of some defense molecules (fetidin/lysenins and LBP) in all pathogen-inoculated substrates, and the increase of CCF and LBP in the Salmonella spp.-inoculated substrate. At the same time, the reduction of pathogens during vermicomposting was assessed. We observed the accelerated reduction of E. coli, Enterococcus spp., and TCB in pathogen-inoculated substrates with earthworms compared to that without earthworms. Moreover, the differences between the microbiome of grape marc substrate and earthworm intestines were determined by high throughput sequencing. This analysis revealed that the bacterial composition of grape marc substrate differed from the composition of the content of earthworm intestines, suggesting the elimination of specific bacterial species during food passage through the gut.

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Abbreviations

CCF:

Coelomic cytolytic factor

CFU:

Colony-forming unit

LBP:

Lipopolysaccharide-binding protein

PRR:

Pattern recognition receptor

TCB:

Thermotolerant coliform bacteria

TLR:

Toll-like receptor

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank L. Matějů for technical help with selective bacterial cultivation.

Funding sources

This research was supported by the Institutional Research Concept RVO 61388971 and by the Ministry of Agriculture of the Czech Republic under the NAZV project No. QJ1530034 and by CULS Prague under the CIGA project No. 20172018.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Vídeňská 1083, CZ-142 20, Prague 4, Czech Republic

    Radka Roubalová, Petra Procházková, Jiří Dvořák & Martin Bilej

  2. Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká 129, CZ-165 00, Prague 6, Czech Republic

    Aleš Hanč

Authors
  1. Radka Roubalová
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  2. Petra Procházková
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  3. Aleš Hanč
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  4. Jiří Dvořák
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  5. Martin Bilej
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Correspondence to Radka Roubalová.

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Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues

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Highlights

Earthworms accelerated the reduction of pathogens in most of the tested substrates.

Some defense molecules were upregulated in earthworms kept in the pathogen-inoculated substrate.

Under great bacterial load, the earthworm gut underwent reversible histological changes.

The microbiome of the earthworm gut differed from that of grape marc substrate.

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Roubalová, R., Procházková, P., Hanč, A. et al. Mutual interactions of E. andrei earthworm and pathogens during the process of vermicomposting. Environ Sci Pollut Res 27, 33429–33437 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-019-04329-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-019-04329-5

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