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Schultz DT, Heath-Heckman EA, Winchell CJ, Kuo DH, Yu YS, Oberauer F, Kocot KM, Cho SJ, Simakov O, Weisblat DA. Acceleration of genome rearrangement in clitellate annelids. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.12.593736. [PMID: 38798472 PMCID: PMC11118384 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.12.593736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Comparisons of multiple metazoan genomes have revealed the existence of ancestral linkage groups (ALGs), genomic scaffolds sharing sets of orthologous genes that have been inherited from ancestral animals for hundreds of millions of years (Simakov et al. 2022; Schultz et al. 2023) These ALGs have persisted across major animal taxa including Cnidaria, Deuterostomia, Ecdysozoa and Spiralia. Notwithstanding this general trend of chromosome-scale conservation, ALGs have been obliterated by extensive genome rearrangements in certain groups, most notably including Clitellata (oligochaetes and leeches), a group of easily overlooked invertebrates that is of tremendous ecological, agricultural and economic importance (Charles 2019; Barrett 2016). To further investigate these rearrangements, we have undertaken a comparison of 12 clitellate genomes (including four newly sequenced species) and 11 outgroup representatives. We show that these rearrangements began at the base of the Clitellata (rather than progressing gradually throughout polychaete annelids), that the inter-chromosomal rearrangements continue in several clitellate lineages and that these events have substantially shaped the evolution of the otherwise highly conserved Hox cluster.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darrin T. Schultz
- Department of Neuroscience and Developmental Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna 1010, Austria
| | - Elizabeth A.C. Heath-Heckman
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Christopher J. Winchell
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, 385 Weill Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720-3200, USA
| | - Dian-Han Kuo
- Department of Life Science & Museum of Zoology, National Taiwan University, No. 1 Section 4 Roosevelt Rd., Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Yun-sang Yu
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, 28644, Republic of Korea
| | - Fabian Oberauer
- Department of Neuroscience and Developmental Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna 1010, Austria
| | - Kevin M. Kocot
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, USA
- Alabama Museum of Natural History, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, USA
| | - Sung-Jin Cho
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, 28644, Republic of Korea
| | - Oleg Simakov
- Department of Neuroscience and Developmental Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna 1010, Austria
| | - David A. Weisblat
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, 385 Weill Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720-3200, USA
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Karataş E, Ceylan M, Dernekbaşı S. Effects of mammalian blood with different glucose levels on reproduction, growth and survival of the southern medicinal leech, Hirudo verbana Carena, 1820. Anim Reprod Sci 2022; 243:107030. [PMID: 35780744 DOI: 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2022.107030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Revised: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Medicinal leeches are generally fed using pure mammalian blood. In the present study reproduction, growth and survival of medicinal leeches (Hirudo spp.) fed by mammalian blood with modified glucose level were investigated for the first time. Leeches were fed by cattle blood in a final glucose level of 152 mg/dL (control group; Glucose-free), 200 mg/dL (G200 group), 300 mg/dL (G300 group), 500 mg/dL (G500 group), 750 mg/dL (G750 group), 1000 mg/dL (G1000 group), 2500 mg/dL (G2500 group) and 5000 mg/dL (G5000 group) with the addition of D-Glucose Monohydrate. Greatest growth performance was determined in the G2500 group with a specific growth rate of 2.34% (final body weight: 10.37 ± 3.86 g) (P < 0.05). A quadratic increase was observed in the body weight values of the leeches depending on the glucose dose (Plinear and Pquadratic < 0.05). The greatest survival and gravidity rates were 89% and 38%, respectively, in the G750 group (P < 0.05). The increased glucose level caused a sharp decrease in the survival and gravidity rates of leeches. The glucose level did not significantly effected the cocoon and offspring productivity (P > 0.05). According to the broken line model, optimum glucose levels based on growth, survival rate and gravidity rate were 2461 mg/dL, 750.0 mg/dL and 749.9 mg/dL, respectively. The study showed that, although the optimum growth performance was obtained in the G2500 group, blood with glucose level of 750 mg/dL should be used for profitable medicinal leech culture considering survival and gravidity rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emin Karataş
- Department of Aquaculture, Faculty of Fisheries, University of Sinop, Turkey.
| | - Mustafa Ceylan
- Medicinal Leech Application and Research Center, Isparta University of Applied Sciences, Isparta, Turkey; Department of Basic Science, Faculty of Eğirdir Fisheries, Isparta University of Applied Sciences, Isparta, Turkey
| | - Seval Dernekbaşı
- Department of Aquaculture, Faculty of Fisheries, University of Sinop, Turkey
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Wang H, Meng FM, Jin SJ, Gao JW, Tong XR, Liu ZC. A new species of medicinal leech in the genus Hirudo Linnaeus, 1758 (Hirudiniformes, Hirudinidae) from Tianjin City, China. Zookeys 2022; 1095:83-96. [PMID: 35836684 PMCID: PMC9021146 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1095.74071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Medicinal leeches in the genus Hirudo have been utilized for therapeutic procedures for thousands of years. To date, six known species of Hirudo are widely distributed in different regions of the Eurasian continent. In this study, a new medicinal leech species Hirudotianjinensis Liu, sp. nov. is described based upon specimens collected from Tianjin City, China. The new species can be distinguished from its congeners by a combination of characters: blackish green dorsum with five continuous yellow longitudinal stripes; six sensillae on dorsal annulus a2 of segments VIII–XXV; greyish green ventrum with irregular bilateral dark brown spots; dorsum and abdomen separated by a pair of pale yellow stripes; front half atrium wrapped by white prostate; apparent albumen gland; epididymis massive in relation to ejaculatory bulb. The phylogenetic tree based upon COI implies a sister relationship to H.nipponia Whitman, 1886. A key to the known species is provided.
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Liu Z, Sun J, Kong D, Wang Y, Tong X, Cao Y, Bi X, Meng F. Insights into gut microbiota communities of Poecilobdella manillensis, a prevalent Asian medicinal leech. J Appl Microbiol 2022; 133:1402-1413. [PMID: 35262268 DOI: 10.1111/jam.15514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Revised: 02/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
AIMS Medicinal leeches (Annelida: Hirudinea) are fresh water ectoparasitic species which have been applied as traditional therapy. However, gut microbiota could bring high risks of opportunistic infections after leeching, and arouses great interests. Here gut bacterial and fungal communities of an Asian prevalent leech Poecilobdella manillensis, were characterized and analyzed through culture-independent sequencing. METHODS AND RESULTS With high coverage in 18 samples (>0.999), a more complicated community was apparent after comparing with previous leech studies. A total of 779/939 OTUs of bacteria and fungi were detected from leech guts. The bacterial community was dominated by phylum Bacteroidetes and Synergistetes. Genera Mucinivorans and Fretibacterium accounted mostly at the genus level. And genus Aeromonas showed an extremely low abundance (2.02%) on average. The fungal community was dominated by phylum Ascomycota and Basidiomycota. At the genus level, the dominant OTUs included Mortierella, Geminibasidium and Fusarium. The analysis of core taxa included those above dominant genera and some low-abundance genera (>1%). The functional annotation of bacterial community showed a close correlation with metabolism (34.8 ± 0.6%). Some fungal species were predicted as opportunistic human pathogens including Fusarium and Chaetomiaceae. CONCLUSIONS The present study provides fundamental rationales for further studies of such issues as bacteria-fungi-host interactions, host fitness, potential pathogens and infecting risks after leeching. It shall facilitate in-depth explorations on a safe utilization of leech therapy. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF STUDY Present paper is the first-ever exploration on microbiota of a prevalent Asian medicinal leech based on culture-independent technical. And it is also the first report of gut fungi community of medicinal leech. The diversity and composition of bacteria in P. manillensis was far different from that of the European leech. The main components and core OTUs indicate a particular gut environment of medicinal leech. Unknown bacterial and fungal species were also recovered from leech gut.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zichao Liu
- Engineering Research Center for Exploitation & Utilization of Leech Resources in Universities of Yunnan Province, School of Agriculture & Life Sciences, Kunming University, Kunming, 650214, China
| | - Jianwei Sun
- Department of Medical Ultrasonography, Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Kunming Medical University, Gejiu, 661000, China
| | - Dejun Kong
- Engineering Research Center for Exploitation & Utilization of Leech Resources in Universities of Yunnan Province, School of Agriculture & Life Sciences, Kunming University, Kunming, 650214, China
| | - Yuxin Wang
- Xiangya School of Pharmaceutical Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Xiangrong Tong
- Engineering Research Center for Exploitation & Utilization of Leech Resources in Universities of Yunnan Province, School of Agriculture & Life Sciences, Kunming University, Kunming, 650214, China
| | - Yanru Cao
- Engineering Research Center for Exploitation & Utilization of Leech Resources in Universities of Yunnan Province, School of Agriculture & Life Sciences, Kunming University, Kunming, 650214, China
| | - Xiaoxu Bi
- Engineering Research Center for Exploitation & Utilization of Leech Resources in Universities of Yunnan Province, School of Agriculture & Life Sciences, Kunming University, Kunming, 650214, China
| | - Fanming Meng
- Department of Medical Parasitology, School of Basic Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
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Solgi R, Raz A, Zakeri S, Tavakoli Kareshk A, Yousef A, Jarehan A, Dinparast Djadid N. Morphological and molecular description of parasitic leeches (Annelida: Hirudinea) isolated from rice field of Bandar Anzali, North of Iran. GENE REPORTS 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.genrep.2021.101162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Macrobdella decora: Old World Leech Gut Microbial Community Structure Conserved in a New World Leech. Appl Environ Microbiol 2021; 87:AEM.02082-20. [PMID: 33674439 DOI: 10.1128/aem.02082-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Leeches are found in terrestrial, aquatic, and marine habitats on all continents. Sanguivorous leeches have been used in medicine for millennia. Modern scientific uses include studies of neurons, anticoagulants, and gut microbial symbioses. Hirudo verbana, the European medicinal leech, maintains a gut community dominated by two bacterial symbionts, Aeromonas veronii and Mucinivorans hirudinis, which sometimes account for as much as 97% of the total crop microbiota. The highly simplified gut anatomy and microbiome of H. verbana make it an excellent model organism for studying gut microbial dynamics. The North American medicinal leech, Macrobdella decora, is a hirudinid leech native to Canada and the northern United States. In this study, we show that M. decora symbiont communities are very similar to those in H. verbana. We performed an extensive study using field-caught M. decora and purchased H. verbana from two suppliers. Deep sequencing of the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene allowed us to determine that the core microbiome of M. decora consists of Bacteroides, Aeromonas, Proteocatella, and Butyricicoccus. The analysis revealed that the compositions of the gut microbiomes of the two leech species were significantly different at all taxonomic levels. The R 2 value was highest at the genus and amplicon sequence variant (ASV) levels and much lower at the phylum, class, and order levels. The gut and bladder microbial communities were distinct. We propose that M. decora is an alternative to H. verbana for studies of wild-caught animals and provide evidence for the conservation of digestive-tract and bladder symbionts in annelid models.IMPORTANCE Building evidence implicates the gut microbiome in critical animal functions such as regulating digestion, nutrition, immune regulation, and development. Simplified, phylogenetically diverse models for hypothesis testing are necessary because of the difficulty of assigning causative relationships in complex gut microbiomes. Previous research used Hirudo verbana as a tractable animal model of digestive-tract symbioses. Our data show that Macrobdella decora may work just as well without the drawback of being an endangered organism and with the added advantage of easy access to field-caught specimens. The similarity of the microbial community structures of species from two different continents reveals the highly conserved nature of the microbial symbionts in sanguivorous leeches.
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Unravelling the Extent of Diversity within the Iberian Medicinal Leeches (Hirudinea: Hirudo) Using Molecules and Morphology. BIOLOGY 2021; 10:biology10040315. [PMID: 33918739 PMCID: PMC8070045 DOI: 10.3390/biology10040315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Revised: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Until the beginning of the 21st century, the famous medicinal leech was thought to be represented by only one species, Hirudo medicinalis. However, recent publications have demonstrated that under that name, at least five different species of medicinal leeches were hidden. During the last decade, the biogeography of Western-Palaearctic leeches has begun to unravel, untangling their diversity in practically all of Europe, except for its westernmost peninsula, Iberia. Hirudo medicinalis has been repeatedly reported from Iberia, but those records were considered questionable. We discovered H. verbana in northern Spain, constituting its first record in Iberia. Using an integrative approach (combining morpho-anatomical data and molecular analyses using three genes, COI,12S rRNA, and ITS2), two endemic and geographically separated Iberian lineages have been found. One of them is easily distinguished by its distinctive colour-pattern and is described as H. verbana bilineata ssp. nov. We characterized the new subspecies morphologically, ecologically, and genetically. We also established its phylogenetic relationships with other European Hirudo spp. and confirm the presence of H. troctina in Iberia, occurring as far as 43° lat. N. Iberian H. verbana records constitute its westernmost known distribution to date. The provided distribution pattern of H. verbana contributes to a better understanding of the complexity of Iberia as a glacial refugium/cradle for endemisms, harbouring populations with a high degree of genetic structure that began to settle throughout the Pleistocene. Iberian Hirudo populations are declining in recent decades and there is an urgent need to assess their conservation status and to initiate conservation measures to reverse their decline.
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Resch JC, Said SM, Steiner ME, Somani A. Hirudotherapy for neonatal limb ischemia during ECMO support: A word of caution. J Card Surg 2021; 36:2549-2557. [PMID: 33811665 DOI: 10.1111/jocs.15539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Revised: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Disordered coagulation, clot formation and distal limb ischemia are complications of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) with significant morbidity and mortality. Medicinal leech therapy (hirudotherapy) has been attempted in plastic and orthopedic surgeries to improve venous congestion and salvage ischemic flaps. To our knowledge this has not been reported in pediatric cardiac surgery or during ECMO support. We present a complex neonate whose ECMO course was complicated by distal limb ischemia for whom leech therapy was attempted. PATIENT AND INTERVENTION A 2-week-old 2.7 kg infant required ECMO support secondary to perioperative multiorgan system dysfunction following repair of critical coarctation and ventricular septal defect. Despite systemic anticoagulation, his clinical course was complicated by arterial thrombus, vasopressor-induced vascular spasm and bilateral distal limb ischemia. Medicinal leech therapy was tried after initially failing conventional measures. RESULT Following the third leech application, this patient developed significant hemorrhage from the web space adjacent to the left great toe. An estimated 450 ml of blood loss occurred and more than 300 ml of blood product transfusions were required. He ultimately progressed to irreversible systemic end organ dysfunction and comfort care was provided. CONCLUSION The use of medicinal leech therapy in pediatric cardiac surgery may be considered to minimize the consequences of advanced limb ischemia and venous congestion. However, this should be used with caution while patients are systemically anticoagulated during ECMO support. A directed review is presented here to assist in determining optimal application and potential course of therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph C Resch
- Department of Pediatric Critical Care, University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Sameh M Said
- Department of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery, University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Marie E Steiner
- Department of Pediatric Critical Care, University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Arif Somani
- Department of Pediatric Critical Care, University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
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Heath-Heckman E, Yoo S, Winchell C, Pellegrino M, Angstadt J, Lammardo VB, Bautista D, De-Miguel FF, Weisblat D. Transcriptional profiling of identified neurons in leech. BMC Genomics 2021; 22:215. [PMID: 33765928 PMCID: PMC7992859 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-021-07526-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background While leeches in the genus Hirudo have long been models for neurobiology, the molecular underpinnings of nervous system structure and function in this group remain largely unknown. To begin to bridge this gap, we performed RNASeq on pools of identified neurons of the central nervous system (CNS): sensory T (touch), P (pressure) and N (nociception) neurons; neurosecretory Retzius cells; and ganglia from which these four cell types had been removed. Results Bioinformatic analyses identified 3565 putative genes whose expression differed significantly among the samples. These genes clustered into 9 groups which could be associated with one or more of the identified cell types. We verified predicted expression patterns through in situ hybridization on whole CNS ganglia, and found that orthologous genes were for the most part similarly expressed in a divergent leech genus, suggesting evolutionarily conserved roles for these genes. Transcriptional profiling allowed us to identify candidate phenotype-defining genes from expanded gene families. Thus, we identified one of eight hyperpolarization-activated cyclic-nucleotide gated (HCN) channels as a candidate for mediating the prominent sag current in P neurons, and found that one of five inositol triphosphate receptors (IP3Rs), representing a sub-family of IP3Rs absent from vertebrate genomes, is expressed with high specificity in T cells. We also identified one of two piezo genes, two of ~ 65 deg/enac genes, and one of at least 16 transient receptor potential (trp) genes as prime candidates for involvement in sensory transduction in the three distinct classes of leech mechanosensory neurons. Conclusions Our study defines distinct transcriptional profiles for four different neuronal types within the leech CNS, in addition to providing a second ganglionic transcriptome for the species. From these data we identified five gene families that may facilitate the sensory capabilities of these neurons, thus laying the basis for future work leveraging the strengths of the leech system to investigate the molecular processes underlying and linking mechanosensation, cell type specification, and behavior. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12864-021-07526-0.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Heath-Heckman
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA. .,Current address: Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.
| | - Shinja Yoo
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Christopher Winchell
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Maurizio Pellegrino
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.,Current address: Invitae Corporation, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - James Angstadt
- Department of Biology, Siena College, Loudonville, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Diana Bautista
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Francisco F De-Miguel
- Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - David Weisblat
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
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Kuo DH, De-Miguel FF, Heath-Heckman EAC, Szczupak L, Todd K, Weisblat DA, Winchell CJ. A tale of two leeches: Toward the understanding of the evolution and development of behavioral neural circuits. Evol Dev 2020; 22:471-493. [PMID: 33226195 DOI: 10.1111/ede.12358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2019] [Revised: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
In the animal kingdom, behavioral traits encompass a broad spectrum of biological phenotypes that have critical roles in adaptive evolution, but an EvoDevo approach has not been broadly used to study behavior evolution. Here, we propose that, by integrating two leech model systems, each of which has already attained some success in its respective field, it is possible to take on behavioral traits with an EvoDevo approach. We first identify the developmental changes that may theoretically lead to behavioral evolution and explain why an EvoDevo study of behavior is challenging. Next, we discuss the pros and cons of the two leech model species, Hirudo, a classic model for invertebrate neurobiology, and Helobdella, an emerging model for clitellate developmental biology, as models for behavioral EvoDevo research. Given the limitations of each leech system, neither is particularly strong for behavioral EvoDevo. However, the two leech systems are complementary in their technical accessibilities, and they do exhibit some behavioral similarities and differences. By studying them in parallel and together with additional leech species such as Haementeria, it is possible to explore the different levels of behavioral development and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dian-Han Kuo
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Francisco F De-Miguel
- Instituto de Fisiología Celular - Neurociencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México City, México
| | | | - Lidia Szczupak
- Departamento de Fisiología Biología Molecular y Celular, Universidad de Buenos Aires, and IFIBYNE UBA-CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Krista Todd
- Department of Neuroscience, Westminster College, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - David A Weisblat
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Christopher J Winchell
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
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Martinsson S, Klinth M, Erséus C. Testing species hypotheses for Fridericia magna, an enchytraeid worm (Annelida: Clitellata) with great mitochondrial variation. BMC Evol Biol 2020; 20:116. [PMID: 32928097 PMCID: PMC7488859 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-020-01678-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2019] [Accepted: 08/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Deep mitochondrial divergences were observed in Scandinavian populations of the terrestrial to semi-aquatic annelid Fridericia magna (Clitellata: Enchytraeidae). This raised the need for testing whether the taxon is a single species or a complex of cryptic species. RESULTS A total of 62 specimens from 38 localities were included in the study, 44 of which were used for species delimitation. First, the 44 specimens were divided into clusters using ABGD (Automatic Barcode Gap Discovery) on two datasets, consisting of sequences of the mitochondrial markers COI and 16S. For each dataset, the worms were divided into six not completely congruent clusters. When they were combined, a maximum of seven clusters, or species hypotheses, were obtained, and the seven clusters were used as input in downstream analyses. We tested these hypotheses by constructing haplowebs for two nuclear markers, H3 and ITS, and in both haplowebs the specimens appeared as a single species. Multi-locus species delimitation analyses performed with the Bayesian BPP program also mainly supported a single species. Furthermore, no apparent morphological differences were found between the clusters. Two of the clusters were partially separated from each other and the other clusters, but not strongly enough to consider them as separate species. All 62 specimens were used to visualise the Scandinavian distribution, of the species, and to compare with published COI data from other Fridericia species. CONCLUSION We show that the morphospecies Fridericia magna is a single species, harbouring several distinct mitochondrial clusters. There is partial genetic separation between some of them, which may be interpreted as incipient speciation. The study shows the importance of rigorous species delimitation using several independent markers when deep mitochondrial divergences might give the false impression of cryptic speciation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Svante Martinsson
- Systematics and Biodiversity, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Box 463, SE-405 30, Göteborg, Sweden.
| | - Mårten Klinth
- Systematics and Biodiversity, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Box 463, SE-405 30, Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Christer Erséus
- Systematics and Biodiversity, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Box 463, SE-405 30, Göteborg, Sweden
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Williams KM, Barkdull M, Fahmy M, Hekkala E, Siddall ME, Kvist S. Caught red handed: iDNA points to wild source for CITES-protected contraband leeches. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-020-01419-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
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Monckton S, Johal S, Packer L. Inadequate treatment of taxonomic information prevents replicability of most zoological research. CAN J ZOOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2020-0027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
We evaluated the quality of information about taxonomic identifications in 710 papers published in seven zoological journals in 2017. We found that only 10.7% of papers cited identification methods, 29.2% made available specimen-level material for later verification, and 6.9% indicated taxon concepts applied to studied animals. Only 4.0% provided details about all three practices, while almost two-thirds provided none. Invertebrate papers were more likely than vertebrate papers to provide identification methods and deposit vouchers, but taxon concepts were rarely provided, and none of the three practices were common in any category. In short, our data suggest that most zoological research is irreplicable. To address this problem, journals should require submitted manuscripts to meet the following guidelines: (1) methods used to identify studied taxa must be stated; (2) literature supporting these identifications must be cited; (3) taxon concept(s) applied to species-level taxa must be indicated; (4) specimen-level material should be available for later examination. We argue that research which falls short of these guidelines is not replicable. We provide recommendations for how authors can better document how studied animals are identified and permit others to verify their identifications, which is necessary for transparent, replicable, and ultimately scientific zoological research.
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Affiliation(s)
- S.K. Monckton
- Department of Biology, York University, 4700 Keele Street, ON M3J 1P3, Canada
- Department of Biology, York University, 4700 Keele Street, ON M3J 1P3, Canada
| | - S. Johal
- Department of Biology, York University, 4700 Keele Street, ON M3J 1P3, Canada
- Department of Biology, York University, 4700 Keele Street, ON M3J 1P3, Canada
| | - L. Packer
- Department of Biology, York University, 4700 Keele Street, ON M3J 1P3, Canada
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Draft genome of the European medicinal leech Hirudo medicinalis (Annelida, Clitellata, Hirudiniformes) with emphasis on anticoagulants. Sci Rep 2020; 10:9885. [PMID: 32555498 PMCID: PMC7303139 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-66749-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2020] [Accepted: 04/28/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The European medicinal leech has been used for medicinal purposes for millennia, and continues to be used today in modern hospital settings. Its utility is granted by the extremely potent anticoagulation factors that the leech secretes into the incision wound during feeding and, although a handful of studies have targeted certain anticoagulants, the full range of anticoagulation factors expressed by this species remains unknown. Here, we present the first draft genome of the European medicinal leech, Hirudo medicinalis, and estimate that we have sequenced between 79–94% of the full genome. Leveraging these data, we searched for anticoagulation factors across the genome of H. medicinalis. Following orthology determination through a series of BLAST searches, as well as phylogenetic analyses, we estimate that fully 15 different known anticoagulation factors are utilized by the species, and that 17 other proteins that have been linked to antihemostasis are also present in the genome. We underscore the utility of the draft genome for comparative studies of leeches and discuss our results in an evolutionary context.
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15
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Ståhls G, Meier R, Sandrock C, Hauser M, Šašić Zorić L, Laiho E, Aracil A, Doderović J, Badenhorst R, Unadirekkul P, Mohd Adom NAB, Wein L, Richards C, Tomberlin JK, Rojo S, Veselić S, Parviainen T. The puzzling mitochondrial phylogeography of the black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens), the commercially most important insect protein species. BMC Evol Biol 2020; 20:60. [PMID: 32448128 PMCID: PMC7247124 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-020-01627-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2019] [Accepted: 05/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The black soldier fly (Diptera: Stratiomyidae, Hermetia illucens) is renowned for its bioconversion ability of organic matter, and is the worldwide most widely used source of insect protein. Despite varying extensively in morphology, it is widely assumed that all black soldier flies belong to the same species, Hermetia illucens. We here screened about 600 field-collected and cultured flies from 39 countries and six biogeographic regions to test this assumption based on data for three genes (mitochondrial COI, nuclear ITS2 & 28S rDNA) and in order to gain insights into the phylogeography of the species. RESULTS Our study reveals a surprisingly high level of intraspecific genetic diversity for the mitochondrial barcoding gene COI (divergences up to 4.9%). This level of variability is often associated with the presence of multiple species, but tested nuclear markers (ITS2 and 28S rDNA) were invariant and fly strain hybridization experiments under laboratory conditions revealed reproductive compatibility. COI haplotype diversity is not only very high in all biogeographic regions (56 distinct haplotypes in total), but also in breeding facilities and research centers from six continents (10 haplotypes: divergences up to 4.3%). The high genetic diversity in fly-breeding facilities is mostly likely due to many independent acquisitions of cultures via sharing and/or establishing new colonies from field-collected flies. However, explaining some of the observed diversity in several biogeographic regions is difficult given that the origin of the species is considered to be New World (32 distinct haplotypes) and one would expect severely reduced genetic diversity in the putatively non-native populations in the remaining biogeographic regions. However, distinct, private haplotypes are known from the Australasian (N = 1), Oriental (N = 4), and the Eastern Palearctic (N = 4) populations. We reviewed museum specimen records and conclude that the evidence for introductions is strong for the Western Palearctic and Afrotropical regions which lack distinct, private haplotypes. CONCLUSIONS Based on the results of this paper, we urge the black soldier fly community to apply molecular characterization (genotyping) of the fly strains used in artificial fly-breeding and share these data in research publications as well as when sharing cultures. In addition, fast-evolving nuclear markers should be used to reconstruct the recent invasion history of the species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gunilla Ståhls
- Finnish Museum of Natural History Luomus, Zoology unit, University of Helsinki, PO Box 17, FI-00014, Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Rudolf Meier
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Block S3 #05-01, 14 Science Dr 4, Singapore, 117543, Singapore
| | - Christoph Sandrock
- Department of Livestock Sciences, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Ackerstrasse 113, 5070, Frick, Switzerland
| | - Martin Hauser
- California Department of Food and Agriculture, Plant Pest Diagnostics Branch, 3294 Meadowview Road, Sacramento, California, 95832-1448, USA
| | | | - Elina Laiho
- Finnish Museum of Natural History Luomus, Zoology unit, University of Helsinki, PO Box 17, FI-00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Andrea Aracil
- Department of Environmental Sciences & Natural Resources, University of Alicante, PO Box 99, E-03080, Alicante, Spain
| | - Jovana Doderović
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, 2100, Serbia
| | | | - Phira Unadirekkul
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Block S3 #05-01, 14 Science Dr 4, Singapore, 117543, Singapore
| | - Nur Arina Binte Mohd Adom
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Block S3 #05-01, 14 Science Dr 4, Singapore, 117543, Singapore
| | - Leo Wein
- Protenga, 302 Ang Mo Kio Ave 3, #01-1840 560302, Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Jeffery K Tomberlin
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, TAMU 2475, College Station, TX, 77843-2475, USA
| | - Santos Rojo
- Department of Environmental Sciences & Natural Resources, University of Alicante, PO Box 99, E-03080, Alicante, Spain
| | - Sanja Veselić
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, 2100, Serbia
| | - Tuure Parviainen
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd, TT2 Tietotie 2, P.O. Box 1000, FI-02044 VTT, Espoo, Finland
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16
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Weigand H, Beermann AJ, Čiampor F, Costa FO, Csabai Z, Duarte S, Geiger MF, Grabowski M, Rimet F, Rulik B, Strand M, Szucsich N, Weigand AM, Willassen E, Wyler SA, Bouchez A, Borja A, Čiamporová-Zaťovičová Z, Ferreira S, Dijkstra KDB, Eisendle U, Freyhof J, Gadawski P, Graf W, Haegerbaeumer A, van der Hoorn BB, Japoshvili B, Keresztes L, Keskin E, Leese F, Macher JN, Mamos T, Paz G, Pešić V, Pfannkuchen DM, Pfannkuchen MA, Price BW, Rinkevich B, Teixeira MAL, Várbíró G, Ekrem T. DNA barcode reference libraries for the monitoring of aquatic biota in Europe: Gap-analysis and recommendations for future work. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 678:499-524. [PMID: 31077928 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.04.247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 178] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2019] [Revised: 04/16/2019] [Accepted: 04/16/2019] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Effective identification of species using short DNA fragments (DNA barcoding and DNA metabarcoding) requires reliable sequence reference libraries of known taxa. Both taxonomically comprehensive coverage and content quality are important for sufficient accuracy. For aquatic ecosystems in Europe, reliable barcode reference libraries are particularly important if molecular identification tools are to be implemented in biomonitoring and reports in the context of the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). We analysed gaps in the two most important reference databases, Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD) and NCBI GenBank, with a focus on the taxa most frequently used in WFD and MSFD. Our analyses show that coverage varies strongly among taxonomic groups, and among geographic regions. In general, groups that were actively targeted in barcode projects (e.g. fish, true bugs, caddisflies and vascular plants) are well represented in the barcode libraries, while others have fewer records (e.g. marine molluscs, ascidians, and freshwater diatoms). We also found that species monitored in several countries often are represented by barcodes in reference libraries, while species monitored in a single country frequently lack sequence records. A large proportion of species (up to 50%) in several taxonomic groups are only represented by private data in BOLD. Our results have implications for the future strategy to fill existing gaps in barcode libraries, especially if DNA metabarcoding is to be used in the monitoring of European aquatic biota under the WFD and MSFD. For example, missing species relevant to monitoring in multiple countries should be prioritized for future collaborative programs. We also discuss why a strategy for quality control and quality assurance of barcode reference libraries is needed and recommend future steps to ensure full utilisation of metabarcoding in aquatic biomonitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Weigand
- Musée National d'Histoire Naturelle, 25 Rue Münster, 2160 Luxembourg, Luxembourg.
| | - Arne J Beermann
- University of Duisburg-Essen, Faculty of Biology, Aquatic Ecosystem Research, Universitaetsstr. 5, 45141 Essen, Germany.
| | - Fedor Čiampor
- Slovak Academy of Sciences, Plant Science and Biodiversity Centre, Zoology Lab, Dúbravská cesta 9, 84523 Bratislava, Slovakia.
| | - Filipe O Costa
- Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology (CBMA), University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal; Institute of Science and Innovation for Bio-Sustainability (IB-S), University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710--057 Braga, Portugal.
| | - Zoltán Csabai
- University of Pécs, Faculty of Sciences, Department of Hydrobiology, Ifjúság útja 6, H7624 Pécs, Hungary.
| | - Sofia Duarte
- Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology (CBMA), University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal; Institute of Science and Innovation for Bio-Sustainability (IB-S), University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710--057 Braga, Portugal.
| | - Matthias F Geiger
- Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig, Leibniz Institute for Animal Biodiversity, Adenauerallee 160, 53113 Bonn, Germany.
| | - Michał Grabowski
- University of Lodz, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Hydrobiology, Banacha 12/16, 90-237 Łódź, Poland.
| | - Frédéric Rimet
- INRA, Université Savoie Mont Blanc, UMR Carrtel, FR-74200 Thonon-les-Bains, France.
| | - Björn Rulik
- Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig, Leibniz Institute for Animal Biodiversity, Adenauerallee 160, 53113 Bonn, Germany.
| | - Malin Strand
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Swedish Species Information Centre, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | | | - Alexander M Weigand
- Musée National d'Histoire Naturelle, 25 Rue Münster, 2160 Luxembourg, Luxembourg; University of Duisburg-Essen, Faculty of Biology, Aquatic Ecosystem Research, Universitaetsstr. 5, 45141 Essen, Germany.
| | - Endre Willassen
- University of Bergen, University Museum of Bergen, NO-5007 Bergen, Norway.
| | - Sofia A Wyler
- info fauna - Centre Suisse de Cartographie de la Faune (CSCF), Avenue de Bellevaux 51, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland.
| | - Agnès Bouchez
- INRA, Université Savoie Mont Blanc, UMR Carrtel, FR-74200 Thonon-les-Bains, France.
| | - Angel Borja
- AZTI - Marine Research Division, Herrera Kaia, Portualdea z/g, 20110 Pasaia, Gipuzkoa, Spain.
| | - Zuzana Čiamporová-Zaťovičová
- Slovak Academy of Sciences, Plant Science and Biodiversity Centre, Zoology Lab, Dúbravská cesta 9, 84523 Bratislava, Slovakia.
| | - Sónia Ferreira
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
| | | | - Ursula Eisendle
- University of Salzburg, Department of Biosciences, Hellbrunnerstraße 34, 5020 Salzburg, Austria.
| | - Jörg Freyhof
- Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), 12587 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Piotr Gadawski
- University of Lodz, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Hydrobiology, Banacha 12/16, 90-237 Łódź, Poland.
| | - Wolfram Graf
- University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Institute of Hydrobiology and Aquatic Ecosystem Management (IHG), Gregor-Mendel-Straße 33/DG, 1180 Vienna, Austria.
| | - Arne Haegerbaeumer
- Bielefeld University, Department of Animal Ecology, Konsequenz 45, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany.
| | | | - Bella Japoshvili
- Ilia State University, Institute of Zoology, ⅗ Cholokashvili ave, 0179 Tbilisi, Georgia.
| | - Lujza Keresztes
- Babeș-Bolyai University, Faculty of Biology and Geology, Center of Systems Biology, Biodiversity and Bioresources, Cliniclor 5-7, 400006 Cluj Napoca, Romania
| | - Emre Keskin
- Ankara University, Agricultural Faculty, Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Evolutionary Genetics Laboratory (eGL), Ankara, Turkey.
| | - Florian Leese
- University of Duisburg-Essen, Faculty of Biology, Aquatic Ecosystem Research, Universitaetsstr. 5, 45141 Essen, Germany.
| | - Jan N Macher
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, PO Box 9517, 2300 RA Leiden, the Netherlands.
| | - Tomasz Mamos
- University of Lodz, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Hydrobiology, Banacha 12/16, 90-237 Łódź, Poland.
| | - Guy Paz
- Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research, National Institute of Oceanography, Haifa 31080, Israel.
| | - Vladimir Pešić
- University of Montenegro, Department of Biology, Cetinjski put bb., 20000 Podgorica, Montenegro
| | | | | | | | - Buki Rinkevich
- Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research, National Institute of Oceanography, Haifa 31080, Israel.
| | - Marcos A L Teixeira
- Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology (CBMA), University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal; Institute of Science and Innovation for Bio-Sustainability (IB-S), University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710--057 Braga, Portugal
| | - Gábor Várbíró
- MTA Centre for Ecological Research, Danube Research Institute, Department of Tisza River Research, Bem square 18/C, H4026 Debrecen, Hungary.
| | - Torbjørn Ekrem
- Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NTNU University Museum, Department of Natural History, NO-7491 Trondheim, Norway.
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17
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Malek M, Jafarifar F, Roohi Aminjan A, Salehi H, Parsa H. Culture of a new medicinal leech: growth, survival and reproduction of Hirudo orientalis Utevsky and Trontelj, 2005 under laboratory conditions. J NAT HIST 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2019.1597200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Masoumeh Malek
- School of Biology and Center of Excellence in Phylogeny of Living Organisms, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Jafarifar
- School of Biology and Center of Excellence in Phylogeny of Living Organisms, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Atabak Roohi Aminjan
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran
| | - Hassan Salehi
- School of Biology and Center of Excellence in Phylogeny of Living Organisms, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hossein Parsa
- School of Biology and Center of Excellence in Phylogeny of Living Organisms, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
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18
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Neupane S, Modry D, Pafčo B, Zurek L. Bacterial Community of the Digestive Tract of the European Medicinal Leech (Hirudo verbana) from the Danube River. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2019; 77:1082-1090. [PMID: 30806729 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-019-01349-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2018] [Accepted: 02/18/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The digestive tract of medicinal leeches from commercial suppliers has been investigated previously and comprises of a relatively simple bacterial community. However, the microbiome of medicinal leeches collected directly from the natural habitat has not been examined. In this study, we characterized the bacterial community in the digestive tract (anterior crop, posterior crop, and intestine) of the European medicinal leech, Hirudo verbana, collected from the Danube river using culture-independent and culture-dependent approaches. Culture-independent approach confirmed that the digestive tract of H. verbana carries a relatively simple bacterial community with species richness in the individual samples ranging from 43 to164. The dominant bacterial taxon was Mucinivorans sp. (49.7% of total reads), followed by Aeromonas sp. (18.7% of total reads). Several low abundance taxa, new for H. verbana, such as Phreatobacter, Taibaiella, Fluviicola, Aquabacterium, Burkholderia, Hydrogenophaga, Wolinella, and unidentified Chitinophagia, were also detected. The aerobic culturing approach showed Aeromonas veronii (Proteobacteria), the known leech symbiont, as the most dominant taxon followed by several Pseudomonas and Acidovorax spp. No significant differences in the bacterial community composition were detected among different parts of the digestive tract of individual leeches. However, the overall composition of the bacterial community among individual specimen varied significantly and this is possibly due to differences in leech age, feeding status, and blood source. Our results showed that the core bacterial community of H. verbana collected from the natural habitat is similar to that reported from the digestive tract of commercially supplied leeches maintained in the laboratory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saraswoti Neupane
- Department of Entomology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
| | - David Modry
- Department of Pathology and Parasitology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
- Central European Institute of Technology, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Barbora Pafčo
- Department of Pathology and Parasitology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Ludek Zurek
- Department of Entomology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA.
- Department of Pathology and Parasitology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic.
- Central European Institute of Technology, Brno, Czech Republic.
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19
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Thuma JB, Hooper SL. Choline and NMDG directly reduce outward currents: reduced outward current when these substances replace Na + is alone not evidence of Na +-activated K + currents. J Neurophysiol 2018; 120:3217-3233. [PMID: 30354793 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00871.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Choline chloride is often, and N-methyl-d-glucamine (NMDG) sometimes, used to replace sodium chloride in studies of sodium-activated potassium channels. Given the high concentrations used in sodium replacement protocols, it is essential to test that it is not the replacement substances themselves, as opposed to the lack of sodium, that cause any observed effects. We therefore compared, in lobster stomatogastric neurons and leech Retzius cells, the effects of applying salines in which choline chloride replaced sodium chloride, and in which choline hydroxide or sucrose was added to normal saline. We also tested, in stomatogastric neurons, the effect of adding NMDG to normal saline. These protocols allowed us to measure the direct effects (i.e., effects not due to changes in sodium concentration or saline osmolarity or ionic strength) of choline on stomatogastric and leech currents, and of NMDG on stomatogastric currents. Choline directly reduced transient and sustained depolarization-activated outward currents in both species, and NMDG directly reduced transient depolarization-activated outward currents in stomatogastric neurons. Experiments with lower choline concentrations showed that adding as little as 150 mM (stomatogastric) or 5 mM (leech) choline reduced at least some depolarization-activated outward currents. Reductions in outward current with choline chloride or NMDG replacement alone are thus not evidence of sodium-activated potassium currents. NEW & NOTEWORTHY We show that choline or N-methyl-d-glucamine (NMDG) directly (i.e., not due to changes in extracellular sodium) decrease outward currents. Prior work studying sodium-activated potassium channels in which sodium was replaced with choline or NMDG without an addition control may therefore be artifactual.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey B Thuma
- Department of Biological Sciences, Irvine Hall, Ohio University , Athens, Ohio
| | - Scott L Hooper
- Department of Biological Sciences, Irvine Hall, Ohio University , Athens, Ohio
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20
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Northcutt AJ, Fischer EK, Puhl JG, Mesce KA, Schulz DJ. An annotated CNS transcriptome of the medicinal leech, Hirudo verbana: De novo sequencing to characterize genes associated with nervous system activity. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0201206. [PMID: 30028871 PMCID: PMC6054404 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0201206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2018] [Accepted: 07/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The medicinal leech is one of the most venerated model systems for the study of fundamental nervous system principles, ranging from single-cell excitability to complex sensorimotor integration. Yet, molecular analyses have yet to be extensively applied to complement the rich history of electrophysiological study that this animal has received. Here, we generated the first de novo transcriptome assembly from the entire central nervous system of Hirudo verbana, with the goal of providing a molecular resource, as well as to lay the foundation for a comprehensive discovery of genes fundamentally important for neural function. Our assembly generated 107,704 contigs from over 900 million raw reads. Of these 107,704 contigs, 39,047 (36%) were annotated using NCBI's validated RefSeq sequence database. From this annotated central nervous system transcriptome, we began the process of curating genes related to nervous system function by identifying and characterizing 126 unique ion channel, receptor, transporter, and enzyme contigs. Additionally, we generated sequence counts to estimate the relative abundance of each identified ion channel and receptor contig in the transcriptome through Kallisto mapping. This transcriptome will serve as a valuable community resource for studies investigating the molecular underpinnings of neural function in leech and provide a reference for comparative analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam J. Northcutt
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Eva K. Fischer
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Joshua G. Puhl
- Department of Entomology and Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Karen A. Mesce
- Department of Entomology and Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - David J. Schulz
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, Missouri, United States of America
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21
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Tessler M, Weiskopf SR, Berniker L, Hersch R, Mccarthy KP, Yu DW, Siddall ME. Bloodlines: mammals, leeches, and conservation in southern Asia. SYST BIODIVERS 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/14772000.2018.1433729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Michael Tessler
- Richard Gilder Graduate School, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY 10024, USA
- Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY 10024, USA
- Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY 10024, USA
| | - Sarah R. Weiskopf
- Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology, University of Delaware, 531 South College Avenue, Newark, DE 19716, USA
| | - Lily Berniker
- Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY 10024, USA
| | - Rebecca Hersch
- Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY 10024, USA
| | - Kyle P. Mccarthy
- Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology, University of Delaware, 531 South College Avenue, Newark, DE 19716, USA
| | - Douglas W. Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, 32 Jiaochang Dong Lu, Kunming, Yunnan 650223, China
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, Norfolk NR4 7TJ, UK
| | - Mark E. Siddall
- Richard Gilder Graduate School, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY 10024, USA
- Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY 10024, USA
- Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY 10024, USA
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22
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Entrapped by the uneven central and Middle Eastern terrains: Genetic status of populations of Hirudo orientalis (Annelida, Clitellata, Hirudinida) with a phylogenetic review of the genus Hirudo. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2017; 121:52-60. [PMID: 29277454 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2017.12.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2017] [Revised: 12/20/2017] [Accepted: 12/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Phylogenetic relationships between species of the genus Hirudo plus genetic variation in the entire distribution range of Hirudo orientalis were investigated based on mitochondrial (COI and 12S rDNA) and nuclear (ITS1+5.8S+ITS2) genome regions. The sister relationship of Hirudo orientalis and H. medicinalis was revealed with a high posterior probability. A broad and patchy distribution with minor genetic differences was observed in populations of H. orientalis along the central and Middle Eastern parts of Asia. The known distribution range occurred in topographically heterogeneous landscapes around the Caspian Sea. The demographic analysis suggests the selection of the COI locus under unfavourable respiratory conditions, but population size expansion cannot be fully rejected. The genetic variation trend indicated northward dispersal. Higher haplotype diversity in the South Caspian region potentially suggests the area as a historical refugium for the species. The vast dispersal is assumed to occur after the Pleistocene glaciations via vertebrate hosts.
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23
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Liu Y, Erséus C. New specific primers for amplification of the Internal Transcribed Spacer region in Clitellata (Annelida). Ecol Evol 2017; 7:10421-10439. [PMID: 29238565 PMCID: PMC5723599 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2017] [Revised: 06/05/2017] [Accepted: 06/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Nuclear molecular evidence, for example, the rapidly evolving Internal Transcribed Spacer region (ITS), integrated with maternally inherited (mitochondrial) COI barcodes, has provided new insights into the diversity of clitellate annelids. PCR amplification and sequencing of ITS, however, are often hampered by poor specificity of primers used. Therefore, new clitellate‐specific primers for amplifying the whole ITS region (ITS: 29F/1084R) and a part of it (ITS2: 606F/1082R) were developed on the basis of a collection of previously published ITS sequences with flanking rDNA coding regions. The specificity of these and other ITS primers used for clitellates were then tested in silico by evaluating their mismatches with all assembled and annotated sequences (STD, version r127) from EMBL, and the new primers were also tested in vitro for a taxonomically broad sample of clitellate species (71 specimens representing 11 families). The in silico analyses showed that the newly designed primers have a better performance than the universal ones when amplifying clitellate ITS sequences. In vitro PCR and sequencing using the new primers were successful, in particular, for the 606F/1082R pair, which worked well for 65 of the 71 specimens. Thus, using this pair for amplifying the ITS2 will facilitate further molecular systematic investigation of various clitellates. The other pair (29F/1084R), will be a useful complement to existing ITS primers, when amplifying ITS as a whole.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingkui Liu
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences University of Gothenburg Göteborg Sweden
| | - Christer Erséus
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences University of Gothenburg Göteborg Sweden
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Morishima K, Suzuki T, Aizawa M. Characterization of 13 polymorphic microsatellite loci in the Japanese land leech. Parasitol Int 2017; 67:13-15. [PMID: 28987555 DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2017.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2017] [Revised: 09/16/2017] [Accepted: 10/04/2017] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
We developed 13 polymorphic microsatellite loci of the Japanese land leech (Haemadipsa japonica; Haemadipsidea) using an Illumina MiSeq sequencing approach. A total of 42,064 nuclear DNA contigs were filtered for microsatellite motifs, among which 30,873 simple sequence repeat loci were identified. From these sequences, we selected 30 primer sets, and 13 of these loci were successfully amplified. Polymorphism of the 13 loci was tested using 16 individuals sampled from sixteen populations across Japan. The number of alleles and polymorphism information content varied from 5 to 17 and 0.335 to 0.883, respectively, and observed and expected heterozygosity values ranged from 0.143 to 0.875 and 0.349 to 0.893, respectively, indicating that these loci are polymorphic. Furthermore, we established useful multiplex PCR using these loci. The 13 microsatellite loci described in this paper are the first nuclear microsatellite markers for a land leech species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaori Morishima
- United Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 350, Mine-machi, Utsunomiya, Tochigi 321-8505, Japan.
| | - Tomohiro Suzuki
- Center for Bioscience Research and Education, Utsunomiya University, 350, Mine-machi, Utsunomiya, Tochigi 321-8505, Japan.
| | - Mineaki Aizawa
- Department of Forest Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Utsunomiya University, 350, Mine-machi, Utsunomiya, Tochigi 321-8505, Japan.
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Lemke S, Müller C, Hildebrandt JP. Be ready at any time: postprandial synthesis of salivary proteins in salivary gland cells of the haematophagous leech Hirudo verbana. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017; 219:1139-45. [PMID: 27103675 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.135509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2015] [Accepted: 02/03/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Sanguivorous leeches are ectoparasites having access to body fluids of potential hosts only infrequently. During feeding, salivary proteins are released from unicellular salivary glands into the wound. These substances, among them anti-coagulants, anti-inflammatory or anti-microbial agents, allow these animals proper feeding and long-term storage of host blood in their crops for several months. Using histological, protein biochemical and molecular techniques, we investigated whether synthesis of salivary proteins and refilling of salivary gland cells occur immediately after feeding or later when stored nutrients in the crop are getting scarce. The results of the histological analyses showed that gland cell area was significantly smaller right after feeding when compared with those in unfed animals. This parameter recovered quickly and reached the control level at 1 week after feeding. 2D gel electrophoresis and analysis of the abundance of individual proteins in extracts of leech tissues revealed that a subset of proteins that had been present in extracts of unfed animals virtually disappeared during feeding, but re-appeared within 1 week of feeding (most probably secretory proteins) while another subset did not change during the experimental period (most probably housekeeping proteins). Semi-quantitative PCR analysis of hirudin cDNA prepared from leech RNA samples revealed that the amount of hirudin transcripts increased immediately after feeding, peaked at 5 days after feeding and declined to control values thereafter. Our results indicate that bloodsucking leeches synthesize salivary proteins and refill their salivary gland cell reservoirs within a week of a blood meal to be prepared for another feeding opportunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Lemke
- Animal Physiology and Biochemistry, Zoological Institute and Museum, Ernst Moritz Arndt University, Felix-Hausdorff-Strasse 1, Greifswald D-17487, Germany
| | - Christian Müller
- Animal Physiology and Biochemistry, Zoological Institute and Museum, Ernst Moritz Arndt University, Felix-Hausdorff-Strasse 1, Greifswald D-17487, Germany
| | - Jan-Peter Hildebrandt
- Animal Physiology and Biochemistry, Zoological Institute and Museum, Ernst Moritz Arndt University, Felix-Hausdorff-Strasse 1, Greifswald D-17487, Germany
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Locomotor and energetic consequences of behavioral thermoregulation in the sanguivorous leech Hirudo verbana. J Therm Biol 2017; 65:1-7. [PMID: 28343561 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2017.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2016] [Revised: 01/19/2017] [Accepted: 01/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Medicinal leeches (Hirudo verbana) thermoregulate with respect to their sanguivorous feeding behavior. Immediate postprandial preferences are for warmer than their initial acclimation temperature (Ta, 21°C, Petersen et al. 2011), while unfed leeches have a lower preferred temperature (Tpref, 12.5°C). This may reduce energy expenditure and defer starvation if feeding opportunities are limited. Energetic benefits may have an associated cost if low temperatures reduce mobility and the ability to locate further hosts. These costs could be limited if mobility is unimpaired at low temperatures, or if acclimation can restore locomotor performance to the levels at Ta. The transition from Ta to the unfed Tpref significantly reduced speed and propulsive cycle frequency during swimming, and extension and retraction rates during crawling. Aerobic metabolic rate was also reduced from 0.20±0.03Wkg-1 at Ta to 0.10±0.03Wkg-1 at Tpref. The Q10 values of 1.7-2.9 for energetic and swimming parameters indicate a substantial temperature effect, although part of the decline in swimming performance can be attributed to temperature-related changes in water viscosity. 6 weeks at Ta resulted in no detectable acclimation in locomotor performance or aerobic metabolism. The energetic savings associated with a lower Tpref in unfed leeches effectively doubled the estimated time until depletion of energy reserves. Given that some mobility is still retained at Tpref, and that acclimation is in itself costly, the energetic benefits of selecting cooler temperatures between feedings may outweigh the costs associated with reduced locomotor performance.
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27
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Martinsson S, Erséus C. Cryptic speciation and limited hybridization within Lumbricus earthworms (Clitellata: Lumbricidae). Mol Phylogenet Evol 2017; 106:18-27. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2016.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2016] [Revised: 09/06/2016] [Accepted: 09/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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Hirudins and hirudin-like factors in Hirudinidae: implications for function and phylogenetic relationships. Parasitol Res 2016; 116:313-325. [PMID: 27785600 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-016-5294-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2016] [Accepted: 10/12/2016] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Haematophagous leeches express a broad variety of bioactive factors that are released from the salivary gland cells into the wound of a host during feeding. Among these, hirudin is probably the best studied factor and, moreover, the only one that has successfully made the transition from nature to clinical use. Many components of the leech saliva still remain either poorly characterized or yet completely unknown. Only recently, a new class of leech-derived factors has been discovered in Hirudo medicinalis, the hirudin-like factors (HLFs). HLFs comprise typical structural features of hirudin but lack others. We were able to verify the expression of HLFs not only in two additional species of the genus Hirudo, but also in Hirudinaria manillensis. Various phylogenetic analyses based on gene and protein sequences support a sister group relationship between hirudins and HLFs. Although potential molecular targets of HLFs remain unknown, the presence of multiple isoforms in individual leeches of different genera points to key functions in the regulation of several processes associated with the blood-sucking life style of leeches.
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Marden JN, McClure EA, Beka L, Graf J. Host Matters: Medicinal Leech Digestive-Tract Symbionts and Their Pathogenic Potential. Front Microbiol 2016; 7:1569. [PMID: 27790190 PMCID: PMC5061737 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.01569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2016] [Accepted: 09/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Digestive-tract microbiota exert tremendous influence over host health. Host-symbiont model systems are studied to investigate how symbioses are initiated and maintained, as well as to identify host processes affected by resident microbiota. The medicinal leech, Hirudo verbana, is an excellent model to address such questions owing to a microbiome that is consistently dominated by two species, Aeromonas veronii and Mucinivorans hirudinis, both of which are cultivable and have sequenced genomes. This review outlines current knowledge about the dynamics of the H. verbana microbiome. We discuss in depth the factors required for A. veronii colonization and proliferation in the leech crop and summarize the current understanding of interactions between A. veronii and its annelid host. Lastly, we discuss leech usage in modern medicine and highlight how leech-therapy associated infections, often attributable to Aeromonas spp., are of growing clinical concern due in part to an increased prevalence of fluoroquinolone resistant strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremiah N Marden
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs CT, USA
| | - Emily A McClure
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs CT, USA
| | - Lidia Beka
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs CT, USA
| | - Joerg Graf
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, StorrsCT, USA; Institute for Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut, StorrsCT, USA
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Garduño-Montes de Oca U, Martínez-Flores G, Contreras-Mirón S, Jiménez-Armenta J, Oceguera-Figueroa A. Primer registro de la sanguijuela introducida Barbronia weberi (Annelida: Clitellata) en Nuevo León, México. REV MEX BIODIVERS 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.rmb.2016.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022] Open
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31
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Saglam N, Saunders R, Lang SA, Shain DH. A new species of Hirudo (Annelida: Hirudinidae): historical biogeography of Eurasian medicinal leeches. BMC ZOOL 2016. [DOI: 10.1186/s40850-016-0002-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
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32
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Darabi-Darestani K, Sari A, Utevska O, Utevsky SY. Coloration pattern in populations of the eastern medicinal leech, Hirudo orientalis Utevsky & Trontelj, 2005 (Clitellata, Hirudinida): geographical distribution and life history. ZOOMORPHOLOGY 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s00435-016-0316-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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33
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Nikitina A, Babenko V, Akopian T, Shirokov D, Manuvera V, Kurdyumov A, Kostryukova E, Lazarev V. Draft mitochondrial genomes of Hirudo medicinalis and Hirudo verbana (Annelida, Hirudinea). MITOCHONDRIAL DNA PART B-RESOURCES 2016; 1:254-256. [PMID: 33473467 PMCID: PMC7800963 DOI: 10.1080/23802359.2016.1157774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Here we present two incomplete mitochondrial genome sequences of Hirudo medicinalis and Hirudo verbana (Annelida, Hirudinea). The corresponding sequences are 14,729 and 14,604 base pairs in length. They contain all mitochondrial genes (13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNAs and two rRNAs) but lack the non-coding region. Nevertheless, the robust reconstruction of their phylogenetic relationships presented here reveals distinct separation of both leeches from other annelids and at the same time relatively high dissimilarity between each other.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia Nikitina
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow, Russian Federation.,Department of Biological and Medical Physics, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudnyi, Russian Federation
| | - Vladislav Babenko
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Tatyana Akopian
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Dmitriy Shirokov
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Valentin Manuvera
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow, Russian Federation.,Department of Biological and Medical Physics, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudnyi, Russian Federation
| | - Alexey Kurdyumov
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Elena Kostryukova
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow, Russian Federation.,Department of Biological and Medical Physics, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudnyi, Russian Federation
| | - Vassili Lazarev
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow, Russian Federation.,Department of Biological and Medical Physics, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudnyi, Russian Federation
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Marrone F, Sacco F, Kehlmaier C, Arizza V, Arculeo M. Some like it cold: the glossiphoniid parasites of the Sicilian endemic pond turtle Emys trinacris
(Testudines, Emydidae), an example of ‘parasite inertia’? J ZOOL SYST EVOL RES 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/jzs.12117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Federico Marrone
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche (STEBICEF); Università di Palermo; Palermo Italy
| | - Francesco Sacco
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche (STEBICEF); Università di Palermo; Palermo Italy
| | - Christian Kehlmaier
- Senckenberg Dresden; Museum of Zoology (Museum für Tierkunde); Dresden Germany
| | - Vincenzo Arizza
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche (STEBICEF); Università di Palermo; Palermo Italy
| | - Marco Arculeo
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche (STEBICEF); Università di Palermo; Palermo Italy
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35
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Tasiemski A, Massol F, Cuvillier-Hot V, Boidin-Wichlacz C, Roger E, Rodet F, Fournier I, Thomas F, Salzet M. Reciprocal immune benefit based on complementary production of antibiotics by the leech Hirudo verbana and its gut symbiont Aeromonas veronii. Sci Rep 2015; 5:17498. [PMID: 26635240 PMCID: PMC4669451 DOI: 10.1038/srep17498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2015] [Accepted: 10/30/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The medicinal leech has established a long-term mutualistic association with Aeromonas veronii, a versatile bacterium which can also display free-living waterborne and fish- or human-pathogenic lifestyles. Here, we investigated the role of antibiotics in the dynamics of interaction between the leech and its gut symbiont Aeromonas. By combining biochemical and molecular approaches, we isolated and identified for the first time the antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) produced by the leech digestive tract and by its symbiont Aeromonas. Immunohistochemistry data and PCR analyses evidenced that leech AMP genes are induced in the gut epithelial cells when Aeromonas load is low (starved animals), while repressed when Aeromonas abundance is the highest (post blood feeding). The asynchronous production of AMPs by both partners suggests that these antibiotic substances (i) provide them with reciprocal protection against invasive bacteria and (ii) contribute to the unusual simplicity of the gut microflora of the leech. This immune benefit substantially reinforces the evidence of an evolutionarily stable association between H. verbana and A. veronii. Altogether these data may provide insights into the processes making the association with an Aeromonas species in the digestive tract either deleterious or beneficial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurélie Tasiemski
- Univ. Lille, Unité Evolution, Ecologie et Paléontologie (EEP), CNRS UMR 8198, F-59 000 Lille, France
| | - François Massol
- Univ. Lille, Unité Evolution, Ecologie et Paléontologie (EEP), CNRS UMR 8198, F-59 000 Lille, France
| | - Virginie Cuvillier-Hot
- Univ. Lille, Unité Evolution, Ecologie et Paléontologie (EEP), CNRS UMR 8198, F-59 000 Lille, France
| | - Céline Boidin-Wichlacz
- Univ. Lille, Unité Evolution, Ecologie et Paléontologie (EEP), CNRS UMR 8198, F-59 000 Lille, France
| | - Emmanuel Roger
- Univ. Lille, Centre d'infections et d'immunité de Lille, CNRS UMR 8204, INSERM U 1019, F-59 000 Lille, France
| | - Franck Rodet
- Univ. Lille, Unité Protéomique, Réponse Inflammatoire, Spectrométrie de Masse (PRISM), INSERM U 1192, F-59 000 Lille, France
| | - Isabelle Fournier
- Univ. Lille, Unité Protéomique, Réponse Inflammatoire, Spectrométrie de Masse (PRISM), INSERM U 1192, F-59 000 Lille, France
| | - Frédéric Thomas
- MIVEGEC, UMR IRD/CNRS/UM5290, 911 Avenue Agropolis, BP 64501, 34394 Montpellier Cedex 5, France
| | - Michel Salzet
- Univ. Lille, Unité Protéomique, Réponse Inflammatoire, Spectrométrie de Masse (PRISM), INSERM U 1192, F-59 000 Lille, France
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More than just one: multiplicity of Hirudins and Hirudin-like Factors in the Medicinal Leech, Hirudo medicinalis. Mol Genet Genomics 2015; 291:227-40. [PMID: 26267058 DOI: 10.1007/s00438-015-1100-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2015] [Accepted: 07/23/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Blood-sucking leeches like the medicinal leech, Hirudo medicinalis, have been used for medical purposes since ancient times. During feeding, medicinal leeches transfer a broad range of bioactive substances into the host's wound to prevent premature hemostasis and blood coagulation. Hirudin is probably the best known of these substances. Despite its long history of investigation, recombinant production and clinical use, there still exist conflicting data regarding the primary structure of hirudin. Entirely unclear is the potential biological significance of three different subtypes and many isoforms of hirudins that have been characterized so far. Furthermore, there is only incomplete information on their cDNA sequences and no information at all on gene structures and DNA sequences are available in the databases. Our efforts to fill these gaps revealed the presence of multiple hirudin-encoding genes in the genome of Hirudo medicinalis. We have strong evidence for the expression of all three subtypes of hirudin within individual leeches and for the expression of additional hirudins or hirudin-like factors that may have different biological functions and may be promising candidates for new drugs.
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Hooper SL, Thuma JB, Guschlbauer C, Schmidt J, Büschges A. Cell dialysis by sharp electrodes can cause nonphysiological changes in neuron properties. J Neurophysiol 2015; 114:1255-71. [PMID: 26063785 DOI: 10.1152/jn.01010.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2014] [Accepted: 06/04/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
We recorded from lobster and leech neurons with two sharp electrodes filled with solutions often used with these preparations (lobster: 0.6 M K2SO4 or 2.5 M KAc; leech: 4 M KAc), with solutions approximately matching neuron cytoplasm ion concentrations, and with 6.5 M KAc (lobster, leech) and 0.6 M KAc (lobster). We measured membrane potential, input resistance, and transient and sustained depolarization-activated outward current amplitudes in leech and these neuron properties and hyperpolarization-activated current time constant in lobster, every 10 min for 60 min after electrode penetration. Neuron properties varied with electrode fill. For fills with molarities ≥2.5 M, neuron properties also varied strongly with time after electrode penetration. Depending on the property being examined, these variations could be large. In leech, cell size also increased with noncytoplasmic fills. The changes in neuron properties could be due to the ions being injected from the electrodes during current injection. We tested this possibility in lobster with the 2.5 M KAc electrode fill by making measurements only 10 and 60 min after penetration. Neuron properties still changed, although the changes were less extreme. Making measurements every 2 min showed that the time-dependent variations in neuron properties occurred in concert with each other. Neuron property changes with high molarity electrode-fill solutions were great enough to decrease neuron firing strongly. An experiment with (14)C-glucose electrode fill confirmed earlier work showing substantial leak from sharp electrodes. Sharp electrode work should thus be performed with cytoplasm-matched electrode fills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott L Hooper
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio; and Zoologisches Institut, Universität zu Köln, Köln, Germany
| | - Jeffrey B Thuma
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio; and
| | - Christoph Guschlbauer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio; and Zoologisches Institut, Universität zu Köln, Köln, Germany
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Ben Ahmed R, Tekaya S, Urbisz AZ, Świątek P. Ultrastructural study of spermatogenesis and sperm in the African medicinal leech Hirudo troctina Johnson, 1816 (Annelida, Hirudinida). Tissue Cell 2015; 47:242-53. [PMID: 25840472 DOI: 10.1016/j.tice.2015.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2014] [Revised: 02/26/2015] [Accepted: 03/04/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
This paper presents the process of spermatogenesis in the leech Hirudo troctina Johnson, 1816 using light, fluorescent and transmission electron microscopy. At the onset of spermatogenesis in testes, the pear-shaped spermatogonia divide mitotically without full cytokinesis and as a result isogenic groups are formed (clusters, clones) with 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128 spermatogonia and, finally, 256 primary spermatocytes occur. The final meiotic divisions of spermatocytes give rise to clones with 1024 spermatids. There are hundreds of developing germ-line clones in each testis. In each clone, the male germ cells divide in full synchrony and they are in the same phase of spermatogenesis. During complex spermiogenesis each spermatid becomes a filiform spermatozoon with a helicoid nucleus, which is characterized by the presence of a long acrosome with two regions - anterior and posterior, which are followed by a helicoid nucleus, a midpiece with only one mitochondrion and a long flagellum. Our results were compared to those on other clitellate annelids that have been studied to date, especially to sperm formation in Hirudo medicinalis Linnaeus, 1785. Only minor differences were found in the length and the diameter of different organelles and the number of spermatids in germ-line clones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raja Ben Ahmed
- Université Tunis El Manar, Faculté des Sciences de Tunis, UR 11ES12 Biologie de la Reproduction et du Développement Animal, 2092 EL-Manar Tunis, Tunisia.
| | - Saïda Tekaya
- Université Tunis El Manar, Faculté des Sciences de Tunis, UR 11ES12 Biologie de la Reproduction et du Développement Animal, 2092 EL-Manar Tunis, Tunisia.
| | - Anna Z Urbisz
- Department of Animal Histology and Embryology, University of Silesia, Bankowa 9, 40-007 Katowice, Poland.
| | - Piotr Świątek
- Department of Animal Histology and Embryology, University of Silesia, Bankowa 9, 40-007 Katowice, Poland.
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Harley CM, Reilly MG, Stewart C, Schlegel C, Morley E, Puhl JG, Nagel C, Crisp KM, Mesce KA. Compensatory plasticity restores locomotion after chronic removal of descending projections. J Neurophysiol 2015; 113:3610-22. [PMID: 25787951 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00135.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2015] [Accepted: 03/16/2015] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Homeostatic plasticity is an important attribute of neurons and their networks, enabling functional recovery after perturbation. Furthermore, the directed nature of this plasticity may hold a key to the restoration of locomotion after spinal cord injury. Here we studied the recovery of crawling in the leech Hirudo verbana after descending cephalic fibers were surgically separated from crawl central pattern generators shown previously to be regulated by dopamine. We observed that immediately after nerve cord transection leeches were unable to crawl, but remarkably, after a day to weeks, animals began to show elements of crawling and intersegmental coordination. Over a similar time course, excessive swimming due to the loss of descending inhibition returned to control levels. Additionally, removal of the brain did not prevent crawl recovery, indicating that connectivity of severed descending neurons was not essential. After crawl recovery, a subset of animals received a second transection immediately below the anterior-most ganglion remaining. Similar to their initial transection, a loss of crawling with subsequent recovery was observed. These data, in recovered individuals, support the idea that compensatory plasticity directly below the site of injury is essential for the initiation and coordination of crawling. We maintain that the leech provides a valuable model to understand the neural mechanisms underlying locomotor recovery after injury because of its experimental accessibility, segmental organization, and dependence on higher-order control involved in the initiation, modulation, and coordination of locomotor behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia M Harley
- Department of Entomology, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota
| | - Melissa G Reilly
- Department of Entomology, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota
| | - Christopher Stewart
- Department of Biology and Neuroscience Program, Saint Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota
| | - Chantel Schlegel
- Department of Entomology, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota
| | - Emma Morley
- Department of Entomology, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota
| | - Joshua G Puhl
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota; and
| | - Christian Nagel
- Department of Entomology, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota
| | - Kevin M Crisp
- Department of Biology and Neuroscience Program, Saint Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota
| | - Karen A Mesce
- Department of Entomology, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota; and
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Kutschera U, Elliott J. The European medicinal leech Hirudo medicinalis L.: Morphology and occurrence of an endangered species. ZOOSYST EVOL 2014. [DOI: 10.3897/zse.90.8715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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Comparative structural analysis of jaws of selected blood-feeding and predacious arhynchobdellid leeches (Annelida: Clitellata: Hirudinida). ZOOMORPHOLOGY 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s00435-014-0245-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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Jellies J. Which way is up? Asymmetric spectral input along the dorsal-ventral axis influences postural responses in an amphibious annelid. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2014; 200:923-38. [PMID: 25152938 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-014-0935-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2014] [Accepted: 08/14/2014] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Medicinal leeches are predatory annelids that exhibit countershading and reside in aquatic environments where light levels might be variable. They also leave the water and must contend with terrestrial environments. Yet, leeches generally maintain a dorsal upward position despite lacking statocysts. Leeches respond visually to both green and near-ultraviolet (UV) light. I used LEDs to test the hypothesis that ventral, but not dorsal UV would evoke compensatory movements to orient the body. Untethered leeches were tested using LEDs emitting at red (632 nm), green (513 nm), blue (455 nm) and UV (372 nm). UV light evoked responses in 100 % of trials and the leeches often rotated the ventral surface away from it. Visible light evoked no or modest responses (12-15 % of trials) and no body rotation. Electrophysiological recordings showed that ventral sensilla responded best to UV, dorsal sensilla to green. Additionally, a higher order interneuron that is engaged in a variety of parallel networks responded vigorously to UV presented ventrally, and both the visible and UV responses exhibited pronounced light adaptation. These results strongly support the suggestion that a dorsal light reflex in the leech uses spectral comparisons across the dorsal-ventral axis rather than, or in addition to, luminance.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Jellies
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI, 49008, USA,
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Leon-Pinzon C, Cercós MG, Noguez P, Trueta C, De-Miguel FF. Exocytosis of serotonin from the neuronal soma is sustained by a serotonin and calcium-dependent feedback loop. Front Cell Neurosci 2014; 8:169. [PMID: 25018697 PMCID: PMC4072984 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2014.00169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2014] [Accepted: 06/02/2014] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The soma of many neurons releases large amounts of transmitter molecules through an exocytosis process that continues for hundreds of seconds after the end of the triggering stimulus. Transmitters released in this way modulate the activity of neurons, glia and blood vessels over vast volumes of the nervous system. Here we studied how somatic exocytosis is maintained for such long periods in the absence of electrical stimulation and transmembrane Ca(2+) entry. Somatic exocytosis of serotonin from dense core vesicles could be triggered by a train of 10 action potentials at 20 Hz in Retzius neurons of the leech. However, the same number of action potentials produced at 1 Hz failed to evoke any exocytosis. The 20-Hz train evoked exocytosis through a sequence of intracellular Ca(2+) transients, with each transient having a different origin, timing and intracellular distribution. Upon electrical stimulation, transmembrane Ca(2+) entry through L-type channels activated Ca(2+)-induced Ca(2+) release. A resulting fast Ca(2+) transient evoked an early exocytosis of serotonin from sparse vesicles resting close to the plasma membrane. This Ca(2+) transient also triggered the transport of distant clusters of vesicles toward the plasma membrane. Upon exocytosis, the released serotonin activated autoreceptors coupled to phospholipase C, which in turn produced an intracellular Ca(2+) increase in the submembrane shell. This localized Ca(2+) increase evoked new exocytosis as the vesicles in the clusters arrived gradually at the plasma membrane. In this way, the extracellular serotonin elevated the intracellular Ca(2+) and this Ca(2+) evoked more exocytosis. The resulting positive feedback loop maintained exocytosis for the following hundreds of seconds until the last vesicles in the clusters fused. Since somatic exocytosis displays similar kinetics in neurons releasing different types of transmitters, the data presented here contributes to understand the cellular basis of paracrine neurotransmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Leon-Pinzon
- Instituto de Fisiología Celular-Neurociencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de MéxicoMéxico D.F., México
| | - Montserrat G. Cercós
- Departamento de Neurofisiología, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatriìa Ramoìn de la Fuente MunñizMéxico D.F., México
| | - Paula Noguez
- Instituto de Fisiología Celular-Neurociencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de MéxicoMéxico D.F., México
| | - Citlali Trueta
- Departamento de Neurofisiología, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatriìa Ramoìn de la Fuente MunñizMéxico D.F., México
| | - Francisco F. De-Miguel
- Instituto de Fisiología Celular-Neurociencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de MéxicoMéxico D.F., México
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Characterization of the digestive tract microbiota of Hirudo orientalis (medicinal leech) and antibiotic resistance profile. Plast Reconstr Surg 2014; 133:408e-418e. [PMID: 24572887 DOI: 10.1097/01.prs.0000438461.06217.bb] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There are at least three distinct European leech species used medicinally: Hirudo medicinalis, H. orientalis, and H. verbana. Infection caused by leech microbiota is the most widely reported complication. Few studies have reported the culturable and unculturable bacteria and examined the antibiotic resistances in H. orientalis. METHODS Following stratified random sampling from a major worldwide leech supplier, Hirudo orientalis leeches were identified by visual comparison and amplification and sequencing the cox1 locus. Combined culture and culture-independent approaches were used to characterize the microbiota of the midgut, and bacterial gyrB sequences from distinct colonies were used to identify the Aeromonas isolates. Nonculturable studies involved clone libraries of 16S rRNA genes, and Etests were used to investigate antibiotic sensitivities. RESULTS Analysis of 16S rRNA gene clone libraries revealed the presence of several species in the intraluminal fluid of the crop, including a new finding of Morganella morganii, with Rikenella-like (35 percent) and Aeromonas veronii (38 percent) dominant members. The intestinum contained bacteria not previously isolated from the leech: Magnetospirillium species and Roseospira marina. Etests showed all A. veronii isolates were sensitive to ciprofloxacin, with either a complete or intermediate resistance to Augmentin. CONCLUSIONS The authors show diverse microbiota in the leech digestive tract. The pathogenic potential of the additional gut symbionts isolated in this study is yet to be elucidated; however, M. morganii, which is a known human pathogen, is a new finding. In addition to adding to the knowledge base regarding antibiotic sensitivities, this article serves as an update to the reconstructive surgeon regarding leech therapy.
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Won S, Park BK, Kim BJ, Kim HW, Kang JG, Park TS, Seo HY, Eun Y, Kim KG, Chae JS. Molecular Identification of Haemadipsa rjukjuana (Hirudiniformes: Haemadipsidae) in Gageo Island, Korea. THE KOREAN JOURNAL OF PARASITOLOGY 2014; 52:169-75. [PMID: 24850960 PMCID: PMC4028454 DOI: 10.3347/kjp.2014.52.2.169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2013] [Revised: 01/13/2014] [Accepted: 01/24/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
There are 60 species of blood-feeding land leeches, 50 species belonging to the family Haemadipsidae and 10 species belonging to the family Xerobdellidae. Despite recent papers on the land leeches, their taxonomic identification is not fully understood, especially at a species level. In Korea, there have been no historical records of the terrestrial leeches, but recently an unrecorded blood-feeding land leech was discovered at Gageo-do (Island), Korea. Molecular analysis was used to identify the species of 29 leeches collected from Mt. Dock-Sil in Gageo-do. Conventional PCR was conducted using nuclear 18S rRNA and mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (CO1) genetic marker. The 18S rRNA sequences revealed that the leeches share 99.9% identity with Haemadipsa rjukjuana (inhabiting Taiwan), and the CO1 sequences revealed that the leeches are very close to H. rjukjuana (inhabiting Taiwan). The CO1 sequences were separated into 2 categories, 1 with 94.6% and the other with 94.3% similarity to the H. rjukjuana L00115A (inhabiting Taiwan). This new finding of the land leech is the first record in Korea. In addition, the north range of the distribution of the blood-feeding leech (Hirudiniformes: Haemadipisidae) should be reconsidered including Korea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sohyun Won
- Laboratory of Veterinary Internal Medicine, Research Institute for Veterinary Science and College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, Korea
| | - Bae Keun Park
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 306-764, Korea
| | - Baek Jun Kim
- Laboratory of Veterinary Internal Medicine, Research Institute for Veterinary Science and College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, Korea
| | - Hye Won Kim
- Laboratory of Veterinary Internal Medicine, Research Institute for Veterinary Science and College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, Korea
| | - Jun Gu Kang
- Laboratory of Veterinary Internal Medicine, Research Institute for Veterinary Science and College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, Korea
| | - Tae Seo Park
- National Institute of Biological Resources, Incheon 404-708, Korea
| | - Hong Yul Seo
- National Institute of Biological Resources, Incheon 404-708, Korea
| | - Ye Eun
- National Institute of Biological Resources, Incheon 404-708, Korea
| | - Ki Gyoung Kim
- National Institute of Biological Resources, Incheon 404-708, Korea
| | - Joon Seok Chae
- Laboratory of Veterinary Internal Medicine, Research Institute for Veterinary Science and College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, Korea
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Wenning A, Norris BJ, Doloc-Mihu A, Calabrese RL. Variation in motor output and motor performance in a centrally generated motor pattern. J Neurophysiol 2014; 112:95-109. [PMID: 24717348 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00856.2013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Central pattern generators (CPGs) produce motor patterns that ultimately drive motor outputs. We studied how functional motor performance is achieved, specifically, whether the variation seen in motor patterns is reflected in motor performance and whether fictive motor patterns differ from those in vivo. We used the leech heartbeat system in which a bilaterally symmetrical CPG coordinates segmental heart motor neurons and two segmented heart tubes into two mutually exclusive coordination modes: rear-to-front peristaltic on one side and nearly synchronous on the other, with regular side-to-side switches. We assessed individual variability of the motor pattern and the beat pattern in vivo. To quantify the beat pattern we imaged intact adults. To quantify the phase relations between motor neurons and heart constrictions we recorded extracellularly from two heart motor neurons and movement from the corresponding heart segments in minimally dissected leeches. Variation in the motor pattern was reflected in motor performance only in the peristaltic mode, where larger intersegmental phase differences in the motor neurons resulted in larger phase differences between heart constrictions. Fictive motor patterns differed from those in vivo only in the synchronous mode, where intersegmental phase differences in vivo had a larger front-to-rear bias and were more constrained. Additionally, load-influenced constriction timing might explain the amplification of the phase differences between heart segments in the peristaltic mode and the higher variability in motor output due to body shape assumed in this soft-bodied animal. The motor pattern determines the beat pattern, peristaltic or synchronous, but heart mechanics influence the phase relations achieved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Wenning
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia; and
| | - Brian J Norris
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia; and Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, San Marcos, California
| | - Anca Doloc-Mihu
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia; and
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Jellies J. Detection and selective avoidance of near ultraviolet radiation by an aquatic annelid: the medicinal leech. J Exp Biol 2014; 217:974-85. [PMID: 24265432 PMCID: PMC3951364 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.094243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2013] [Accepted: 11/12/2013] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Medicinal leeches are aquatic predators that inhabit surface waters during daylight and also leave the water where they might be exposed to less screened light. Whereas the leech visual system has been shown to respond to visible light, leeches in the genus Hirudo do not appear to be as negatively phototactic as one might expect in order to avoid potential ultraviolet radiation (UVR)-induced damage. I used high intensity light emitting diodes to test the hypothesis that leeches could detect and specifically avoid near UVR (395-405 nm). Groups of unfed juvenile leeches exhibited a robust negative phototaxis to UVR, but had no behavioral response to blue or red and only a slight negative phototaxis to green and white light. Individual leeches also exhibited a vigorous negative phototaxis to UVR; responding in 100% of trials compared with modest negative responses to visible light (responding in ~8% of the trials). The responses in fed and unfed leeches were comparable for UVR stimuli. The responses depended upon the stimulus site: leeches shortened away from UV light to the head, and extended away from UV light to the tail. Electrophysiological nerve recordings showed that the cephalic eyes responded vigorously to UVR. Additionally, individual leech photoreceptors also showed strong responses to UVR, and a higher-order neuron associated with shortening and rapid behavioral responses, the S-cell, was activated by UVR, on both the head and tail. These results demonstrate that the leech can detect UVR and is able to discriminate behaviorally between UVR and visible light.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Jellies
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008, USA
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48
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Chong LK, Ong AHK, Tan SG, Taranjeet KAS, Peris MM, Sana AMMA, Hassan HR. Morphological and genetic variations of the freshwater leech, Hirudinaria spp., in Peninsular Malaysia. Biochem Genet 2014; 52:283-95. [PMID: 24535156 DOI: 10.1007/s10528-014-9647-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2013] [Accepted: 11/20/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
In this study the genetic diversity of local freshwater leeches (Hirudinaria spp.) was inferred using mtDNA COI gene analysis and compared with the gross external variations of 26 freshwater leech specimens obtained from the wild and leech farms. Based on a neighbor-joining tree generated from 516 COI base sequences, four distinct clades of Hirudinaria were seen with interspecific genetic divergence in the range of 7.6-14.5%. The external morphological variations based on the presence of stripes, location of gonopores, and anus separated the samples into four morphologically distinct groups matching the four clades obtained from the molecular data. Two black stripes at the ventral region were observed only in specimens found clustered with clades that contained the GenBank-reported H. manillensis, whereas the brown or dark green coloration without stripes on the ventral region was seen in samples that clustered with H. javanica and H. bpling clades.
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Affiliation(s)
- L K Chong
- Malaysian University of Science and Technology, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
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49
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Gibbons KR, Baltzley MJ. Differing synaptic strengths between homologous mechanosensory neurons. INVERTEBRATE NEUROSCIENCE 2014; 14:103-11. [PMID: 24526450 DOI: 10.1007/s10158-014-0168-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2013] [Accepted: 02/05/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Leeches have four mechanosensory pressure neurons (P cells) in each midbody ganglion. Within a ganglion, P cells show complex electrical and chemical connections that vary between species. In Hirudo verbana, stimulating one P cell causes a weak depolarization followed by a strong hyperpolarization in the other P cells; however, stimulating a P cell in Erpobdella obscura produces strong depolarizations in the other P cells. In this study, we examined interactions between P cells in the American medicinal leech Macrobdella decora. Not only is Macrobdella more closely related to Hirudo than to Erpobdella, but Hirudo and Macrobdella also have very similar behavioral responses to mechanical stimulation. Despite the phylogenetic relationship and behavioral similarities between the two species, we found that intracellular stimulation of one P cell in Macrobdella causes a depolarization in the other P cells, rather than the hyperpolarization seen in Hirudo. Experiments performed in a high Mg(2+), 0 Ca(2+) saline solution and a high Mg(2+), high Ca(2+) saline solution suggest that the P cells in Macrobdella have a monosynaptic excitatory connection, a polysynaptic inhibitory connection, and a weak electrical coupling, similar to the connections between P cells in Hirudo. The difference in net response of P cells between these two species seems to be based on differences in the strengths of the chemical connections. These results demonstrate that even when behavioral patterns are conserved in closely related species, the underlying neural circuitry is not necessarily tightly constrained.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlin R Gibbons
- Department of Biology, St. Mary's College of Maryland, St. Mary's City, MD, 20686-3001, USA
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50
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Mumcuoglu KY. Recommendations for the use of leeches in reconstructive plastic surgery. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE : ECAM 2014; 2014:205929. [PMID: 24653746 PMCID: PMC3933224 DOI: 10.1155/2014/205929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2013] [Revised: 12/05/2013] [Accepted: 12/27/2013] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
A written informed consent should be obtained from the patient before hirudotherapy is initiated. The patients should be treated each day of leech therapy with anti-Aeromonas antibiotics. Leeches should be applied on the darker spots of the reattached body parts or flaps. Usually 1-10 leeches are used for each treatment, while at the beginning, the patient might need two or more treatments per day. Leech therapy is used until venous capillary return is established across the wound border by angiogenesis. Usually the treatment with leeches lasts for 2-6 days. Hematologic evaluations should be performed every 4 hrs and the patient has to receive blood transfusions when the hemoglobin level is lower than 8 g/dL. Signs of regional lymphadenitis, slight swelling, and pain of regional lymph nodes on the side of leech application and subfebrile temperature can occur. Contraindications related to hirudotherapy include arterial insufficiency, hemophilia, hemorrhagic diathesis, hematological malignancies, anemia, hypotension, and sepsis. Leech therapy is not recommended in pregnancy and lactation and in patients with an unstable medical status, history of allergy to leeches or severe allergic diathesis, and disposition to keloid scar formation, as well as in those using anticoagulants and immunosuppressants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kosta Y. Mumcuoglu
- Parasitology Unit, Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, The Kuvin Center for the Study of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, The Hebrew University, Hadassah Medical School, P.O. Box 12272, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
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