Amynthas hupeiensis earthworm to a selenium-rich and cadmium-contaminated soil through modulating gut homeostasis Transcriptome

Earthworms, the largest invertebrates in soil, possess strong enrichment ability and tolerance to the heavy metal cadmium. They can also alter the form and bioavailability of heavy metals. However, the mechanisms underlying adsorption and transformation of heavy metals by earthworms themselves and their interaction with intestinal bacteria remain incompletely understood. In this study, we focused on Hubei far blind worms as our research subjects and used Citrobacter fredii, an intestinal microbe of earthworms, as our experimental material. By investigating the activities and metabolism of earthworms under high selenium and cadmium conditions, as well as exploring the detoxification effect of earthworm's intestinal microbial community, we employed multi-omics analysis to uncover potential molecular mechanisms underlying earthworm response to cadmium stress. Furthermore, we aimed to elucidate how cadmium-tolerant intestinal bacteria contribute to adsorption and passivation processes associated with cadmium.