Transcriptome analysis of earthworm (Eisenia fetida) exposed to tire wear particles
As global vehicular electrification accelerates, the accumulation of tire wear particles (TWPs) poses a pervasive threat to soil ecosystems. To elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying TWP toxicity, we performed comparative transcriptomic profiling of the soil sentinel earthworm, Eisenia fetida. Earthworms were exposed to environmentally relevant ingestible sizes of TWPs within a natural soil matrix for 21 days. Following exposure, total RNA was extracted from the aseptically dissected gut tissues of earthworms in the high-concentration groups (5% w/w) and the control group for Illumina NovaSeq sequencing.The transcriptomic data reveals a profound systemic response to the synergistic physical-chemical toxicity of TWPs. Key transcriptional perturbations include the synchronized collapse of the intestinal ECM-Integrin-Cytoskeleton continuum, the suppression of xenobiotic detoxification machineries (Cytochrome P450 and GST), and a severe metabolic reprogramming. Ultimately, this dataset provides crucial molecular evidence showing that TWPs force the organism into an unsustainable bioenergetic triage, driving a fatal metabolic-immune deadlock and exposing the hidden biological costs of tire emissions in edaphic environments.