Micro-scale changes in earthworm communities and ground cover types were studied along five transect lines in an unmanaged beech forest (Fontainebleau forest, France). Spatial patterns were interpreted to the light of interactions between earthworm species and forest architecture, ground vegetation and quantity as well as quality of litter. The anecic Lumbricus terrestris was associated with pa...

The extracellular hemoglobin (Hb) of the earthworm, Lumbricus terrestris, has four major O2-binding chains, a, b, c (forming a disulfide-linked trimer), and d ("monomer"). Additional structural chains, "linkers," are required for the assembly of the approximately 200-polypeptide molecule. The proportion of linker chains had been reported to be one-third of the total mass on the basis of densito...

The guts and casts of earthworms contain microbial assemblages that process large amounts of organic polymeric substrates from plant litter and soil; however, the enzymatic potential of these microbial communities remains largely unexplored. In the present work, we retrieved carbohydrate-modifying enzymes through the activity screening of metagenomic fosmid libraries from cellulose-depleting mi...

Continuous burrowing, ingesting, turning, mixing, aeration and the improvement of drainage soil are major roles played by earthworms in renewing fertility. Larger amounts herbicides applied to continuously farmers as they realize importance these herbicides. These could then accumulate toxic levels become lethal microorganisms, plant, wild life man. In this study, we sought assess effects formu...

Earthworms (Lumbricus terrestris) produce a chemical substance that is readily detected by and serves as an attractant for garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis). This chemoattractant is sensed by the vomeronasal system of snakes. Amino acid analysis of the chemoattractant revealed a high hydroxyproline/proline ratio and large amounts of serine and threonine. More than one-third of the residues we...

Whether the radial thickness (RT) of the chloragogenous tissue and intestinal epithelium of earthworms (Lumbricus terrestris) reflects the bioavailability of metals in soils was investigated in two areas, one with active volcanism (Furnas) and another with no volcanic activity since 3 million years ago (Santa Maria), in the Azores. Metal contents in soil samples and earthworms from the two area...

Previous generations of hemoglobin (Hb)-based oxygen carriers (HBOCs) have been plagued by key biophysical limitations that result in severe side-effects once transfused in vivo, including protein instability, high heme oxidation rates, and nitric oxide (NO) scavenging. All of these problems emerge after mammalian Hbs are removed from red blood cells (RBCs) and used for HBOC synthesis/formulati...

The introduction of earthworms into soils contaminated with metals and metalloids has been suggested to aid restoration practices. Eisenia veneta (epigeic), Lumbricus terrestris (anecic) and Allolobophora chlorotica (endogeic) earthworms were cultivated in columns containing 900 g soil with 1130, 345, 113 and 131 mg kg(-1) of As, Cu, Pb and Zn, respectively, for up to 112 days, in parallel with...

The diet of earthworms includes soil organic matter, soil microbes and other microfauna, but the relative contribution of these dietary components to earthworm nutrition is not well known. Analysis of fatty acid (FA) profiles can reveal trophic relationships in soil food webs, leading to a better understanding of the energy and nutrient flows from microbiota to earthworms. The objective of this...