Volume: 2, 2023
2nd International PhD Student’s Conference at the University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland:
ENVIRONMENT – PLANT – ANIMAL – PRODUCT
Abstract number: E014
DOI: https://doi.org/10.24326/ICDSUPL2.E014
Published online: 19 April 2023
ICDSUPL, 2, E014 (2023)
Analysis of the phenotypic diversity of Enterobacterales microflora digestive system as a physiological biomarker of Lumbricus sp. earthworms from the wetland ecosystems of Polesie
Aleksandra Garbacz1*, Grzegorz Grzywaczewski1
1 Department of Zoology and Animal Ecology, Faculty of Environmental Biology, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Akademicka 13, 20-950 Lublin, Poland
* Corresponding author: aleksandra.garbacz@up.lublin.pl
Abstract
While feeding, Lumbricus sp. earthworms create optimal growth conditions for soil bacteria in their digestive system. The research hypothesis assumed that environmental stressors cause intra-organic fluctuations in the examined oligochaetes. The aim of the study was to determine the impact of exogenous environmental stressors on the phenotypic diversity of the Enterobacterales microflora of the digestive system of earthworms from the wetland ecosystems of Polesie. The aim was also to designate the analyzed changes in the selected microbiome as a physiological biomarker. The subjects of the study were earthworms of the genus Lumbricus, which were collected in 2022 at eight sites under various influences of anthropogenic pollutants. Coprolites obtained from earthworms were placed in NB multiplication broth (Biomaxima). After incubation, the material was transferred to differentiation media – chromID™ ESBL medium (bioMérieux) and SS medium (Biomaxima). Selected bacterial isolates were identified using API 20E tests (bioMérieux). The drug susceptibility of the isolates to 12 chemotherapeutics was tested using the circular-diffusion method on Mueller-Hinton agar (Biomaxima), i.e. CTX 5, CIP 5, CN 10, TOB 10, TPZ 36, SXT 25, IMP 10, C 30, S 10, TE 30, TS 30 and AM 10. The results were interpreted according to EUCAST v. 11.0 of 2021, Societe Francaise de Microbiologie Recommandations 2013. Tests were performed on 41 Enterobacterales isolates. The most frequently isolated taxa were: Citrobacter braakii, Enterobacter amnigenus 2 and Cronobacter sakazakii (Enterobacter sakazakii). In addition, there was the presence of: Enterobacter cloacae, Escherichia coli. Three taxa, i.e. Pseudomonas putida, Acinetobacter baumannii and Aeromonas hydrophila, were found in sites without the influence of environmental stressors of anthropogenic origin. The growth of bacteria isolated from earthworms from 3 sites was observed on the chromID™ ESBL medium: one under the influence of factors of anthropogenic origin: C. sakazakii and two without: P. putida, A. baumannii. The obtained results indicate that the tested earthworms of the Polesie wetland ecosystems are vectors carrying potentially epidemiologically significant Enterobacterales bacteria, including multi-resistant strains. The isolated strains from the tested Oligochaeta showcased a large spectrum of diversity of biochemical tests (API 20E tests) as well as susceptibility to chemotherapeutic agents, which implies the inclusion of this type of research in the panel of physiological biomarkers of invertebrates.
How to cite
A. Garbacz, G. Grzywaczewski, 2023. Analysis of the phenotypic diversity of Enterobacterales microflora digestive system as a physiological biomarker of Lumbricus sp. earthworms from the wetland ecosystems of Polesie. In: 2nd International PhD Student’s Conference at the University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland: Environment – Plant – Animal – Product. https://doi.org/10.24326/ICDSUPL2.E014