Effects of Earthworms on the Microbiomes and Antibiotic Resistomes of Detritus Fauna and Phyllospheres

Our understanding of the influences of animals on microbial communities and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) throughout the food web is limited, particularly in the soil ecosystem. We performed a microcosm experiment using the combination of 16S rRNA gene high-throughput sequencing and high-throughput qPCR to study the effects of earthworms on the microbiomes and resistomes of the phyllospheres and soil detritus fauna. A full factorial design was employed in this study, including two earthworm treatments (control and earthworm addition) and two soil treatments (control and manure amendment). Earthworms changed the bacterial composition of the soil detritus fauna and the phyllosphere by modifying the shared habitat. Earthworms also reduced the number and abundance of ARGs in the soil fauna and phyllosphere microbiomes by changing their microbial communities, suggesting that earthworms may be able to provide a sustainable and natural solution to address the ARG crisis in the soil ecosystem. This study provides a new understanding on the effects of soil animals on microbial communities, driving shifts in the resistome of other animals and the phyllosphere, by altering the shared soil habitat.