Abstract Background and aim Plant pathogenic mycotoxin-producing Fusarium species are globally widespread lead to large annual yield losses in maize production (ecosystem disservice). Systems with reduced tillage mulching particularly under threat. In the present study, bioregulatory performance service) of common earthworm Lumbricus terrestris was analysed regarding suppression three economica...

Human alteration of atmospheric composition affects foliar chemistry and has possible implications for the structure and functioning of detrital communities. In this study, we explored the impacts of elevated carbon dioxide and ozone on aspen (Populus tremuloides) leaf litter chemistry, earthworm (Lumbricus terrestris) individual consumption and growth, and springtail (Sinella curviseta) popula...

Giant extracellular hemoglobins, also known as erythrocruorins, have been investigated as a model of extreme complexity in oxygen-binding heme proteins [1,2]. They are characterized by a very high molecular mass (MM) of several megadalton (MDa), and their oligomeric structure together with the crowded and protected heme environment are two of the main factors responsible for the high redox stab...

The major sources of heavy metal pollution in Estonia are oil shale industry and oil shale combustion. There is an utmost need to monitorsoil pollution with heavy metals in this region. Earthworms are good accumulators of heavy metals and can be used as bioindicators. Endogeic species Aporrectodea caliginosa and Aporrectodea rosea as well as anecic species Lumbricus terrestris are good bioindic...

The collisions of two simultaneously generated impulses in the giant axons of both earthworms and lobsters propagating in orthodromic and antidromic direction are investigated. The experiments have been performed on the extracted ventral cords of Lumbricus terrestris and the abdominal ventral cord of a lobster, Homarus americanus, by using external stimulation and recording. The collision of tw...

The miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents (MEPCs) of the muscle cells of the earthworm Lumbricus terrestris were recorded by glass microelectrodes. In a single synaptic zone, three types of MEPC were recorded: a fast single-exponential type that decayed with tau =0.9 ms, a slow single-exponential with tau = 9.2 ms and a two-exponential MEPC with tau = 1.3 and 8.5 ms, respectively. The musc...

El objetivo de la investigación fue determinar eficiencia del sistema Tohá para depurar aguas residuales camal municipal ciudad Bagua, Región Amazonas, Perú, a través Lombrifiltros constituidos por lombrices roja californiana (Eisenia foetida) y lombriz tierra (Lumbricus terrestris). Se realizó compra en el distrito Chachapoyas se obtuvo con excavaciones, seguidamente fueron colocados individua...

Encapsulation is an essential process of the invertebrate immune system and includes the prophenoloxidase (proPO) cascade. We present an assay for evaluating this immune response, now newly adapted to earthworms. Coelomic fluid is withdrawn and coelomocytes are stained with l-Dopa. We studied assay repeatability and the correlation between number of PO-active cells and infection level of the pa...

Immunocompetent cells of earthworms, coelomocytes, comprise adherent amoebocytes and granular eleocytes (chloragocytes). Both cell populations can be expelled via dorsal pores of adult earthworms by exposure to an electric current (4.5 V) for 1 min. Analysis by phase contrast/fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry demonstrated that eleocyte population of several species exhibits a strong au...