FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ACS News Service Weekly PressPac: May 12, 2021
Earthworms could help reduce antibiotic resistance genes in soil
Environmental Science & Technology
Earthworms improve the soil by aerating it, breaking down organic matter and mineralizing nutrients. Now, researchers reporting in ACS’�Environmental Science & Technology have dug up another possible role: reducing the number and relative abundance of antibiotic-resistance genes (ARGs) in soils from diverse ecosystems. These results imply that earthworms could be a natural, sustainable solution to addressing the global issue of antibiotic resistance, the researchers say.
The overuse of antibiotics in humans and animals has caused ARGs to accumulate in soils, which could contribute to the rise in antibiotic-resistant infections. Earthworms consume tons of soil per year worldwide, and their guts have a unique combination of low-oxygen conditions, neutral pH and native microbial inhabitants that could have an effect on ARGs. However, the role of earthworms in the spread of antibiotic resistance has been controversial. Some studies in controlled settings suggest that their guts are hot spots for ARGs, which they can spread through soil with their movements, while other studies indicate that the earthworms� guts can reduce ARG abundance by destroying host bacteria and mobile genetic elements. To better understand the issue, Yong-Guan Zhu and colleagues wanted to compare the microbiomes and ARGs of earthworm guts with those of soils from diverse ecosystems across China.
The researchers collected earthworms and surrounding soil samples from 28 provinces in China. Then, they analyzed the composition of microbial communities in the worms� guts and the surrounding soil, finding that they differed between guts and soil and also among sites. In addition, the team found a lower number and relative abundance of ARGs in the earthworm guts than in the corresponding soil across all sampling sites. The earthworm guts also had lower levels of bacterial species that commonly host ARGs. These bacteria and their ARGs could be destroyed during digestion, or bacteria that live in the gut could out-compete them, the researchers say. In other experiments, they used controlled environments to show that the number and relative abundance of ARGs were higher in earthworm guts than in their feces, and that the addition of earthworms reduced ARGs in soil samples. These findings suggest that earthworms have the potential to mitigate these genes in soils as a form of natural bioremediation, the researchers say.
The authors acknowledge funding from the  and the .
###
The American Chemical Öйú365betÖÐÎĹÙÍø (ACS) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1876 and chartered by the U.S. Congress. ACS is committed to improving all lives through the transforming power of chemistry. Its mission is to advance scientific knowledge, empower a global community and champion scientific integrity, and its vision is a world built on science. The Öйú365betÖÐÎĹÙÍø is a global leader in promoting excellence in science education and providing access to chemistry-related information and research through its multiple research solutions, peer-reviewed journals, scientific conferences, e-books and weekly news periodical Chemical & Engineering News. ACS journals are among the most cited, most trusted and most read within the scientific literature; however, ACS itself does not conduct chemical research. As a leader in scientific information solutions, its CAS division partners with global innovators to accelerate breakthroughs by curating, connecting and analyzing the world’s scientific knowledge. ACSâ€� main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.
Registered journalists can subscribe to the to access embargoed and public science press releases. For media inquiries, contact newsroom@acs.org.
Note: ACS does not conduct research but publishes and publicizes peer-reviewed scientific studies.
Media Contact
ACS Newsroom
newsroom@acs.org
###
La sociedad American Chemical Öйú365betÖÐÎĹÙÍø (ACS) es una organización sin fines de lucro fundada en 1876 y aprobada por el Congreso de los Estados Unidos. La ACS se ha comprometido a mejorar la vida de todas las personas mediante la transformación del poder de la quÃmica. Su misión es promover el conocimiento cientÃfico, empoderar a la comunidad global y defender la integridad cientÃfica, y su visión es un mundo construido basándose en la ciencia. La Sociedad es lÃder mundial en la promoción de la excelencia en la educación cientÃfica y en el acceso a información e investigación relacionadas con la quÃmica a través de sus múltiples soluciones de investigación, publicaciones revisadas por expertos, conferencias cientÃficas, libros electrónicos y noticias semanales periódicas de Chemical & Engineering News. Las revistas de la ACS se encuentran entre las más citadas, las más fiables y las más leÃdas en la literatura cientÃfica; sin embargo, la propia ACS no realiza investigación quÃmica. Como lÃder en soluciones de información cientÃfica, su división CAS se asocia con innovadores internacionales para acelerar los avances mediante la preservación, la conexión y el análisis de los conocimientos cientÃficos del mundo. Las sedes principales de la ACS se encuentran en Washington, D.C., y Columbus, Ohio.
Los periodistas registrados pueden suscribirse al en EurekAlert! para acceder a comunicados de prensa públicos y retenidos. Para consultas de los medios, comunÃquese con newsroom@acs.org.
Nota: ACS no realiza investigaciones, pero publica y divulga estudios cientÃficos revisados por expertos.â€�
;void(0);){kind=link}