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Kim JH, Lee CJ, Yu YS, Aryal YP, Kim S, Suh JY, Kim JY, Min SH, Cha IT, Lee HY, Shin SY, Cho SJ. Transcriptomic profiling and the first spatial expression analysis of candidate genes in the salivary gland of the East Asian medicinal leech, Hirudo nipponia. DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2024; 154:105125. [PMID: 38158145 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2023.105125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Hirudo nipponia, a blood-sucking leech native to East Asia, possesses a rich repertoire of active ingredients in its saliva, showcasing significant medical potential due to its anticoagulant, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial effects against human diseases. Despite previous studies on the transcriptomic and proteomic characteristics of leech saliva, which have identified medicinal compounds, our knowledge of tissue-specific transcriptomes and their spatial expression patterns remains incomplete. In this study, we conducted an extensive transcriptomic profiling of the salivary gland tissue in H. nipponia based on de novo assemblies of tissue-specific transcriptomes from the salivary gland, teeth, and general head region. Through gene ontology (GO) analysis and hierarchical clustering, we discovered a novel set of anti-coagulant factors-i.e., Hni-Antistasin, Hni-Ghilanten, Hni-Bdellin, Hni-Hirudin-as well as a previously unrecognized immune-related gene, Hni-GLIPR1 and uncharacterized salivary gland specific transcripts. By employing in situ hybridization, we provided the first visualization of gene expression sites within the salivary gland of H. nipponia. Our findings expand on our understanding of transcripts specifically expressed in the salivary gland of blood-sucking leeches, offering valuable resources for the exploration of previously unidentified substances with medicinal applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jung-Hyeuk Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, College of Natural Sciences, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Chungbuk, 28644, Republic of Korea; Wildlife Disease Response Team, National Institute of Wildlife Disease Control and Prevention, Incheon, 22689, Republic of Korea
| | - Chan-Jun Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, College of Natural Sciences, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Chungbuk, 28644, Republic of Korea
| | - Yun-Sang Yu
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, College of Natural Sciences, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Chungbuk, 28644, Republic of Korea
| | - Yam Prasad Aryal
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, College of Natural Sciences, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Chungbuk, 28644, Republic of Korea
| | - Sangil Kim
- Museum of Comparative Zoology and Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Jo-Young Suh
- Department of Periodontology, School of Dentistry, IHBR Kyungpook National University, Daegu, 41940, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae-Young Kim
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Dentistry, IHBR, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41940, Republic of Korea
| | - Sun Hong Min
- Department of Cosmetics Engineering, Konkuk University, Seoul, 05029, Republic of Korea
| | - In-Tae Cha
- Species Diversity Research Division, National Institute of Biological Resources(NIBR), Incheon, 22689, Republic of Korea
| | - Hae-Youn Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, College of Natural Sciences, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Chungbuk, 28644, Republic of Korea.
| | - Song Yub Shin
- Department of Cellular & Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Chosun University, Gwangju, 61452, Republic of Korea.
| | - Sung-Jin Cho
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, College of Natural Sciences, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Chungbuk, 28644, Republic of Korea.
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Shi P, Wei J, You H, Chen S, Tan F, Lu Z. Cloning, characterization, and heterologous expression of a candidate Hirudin gene from the salivary gland transcriptome of Hirudo nipponia. Sci Rep 2023; 13:4943. [PMID: 36973525 PMCID: PMC10042815 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-32303-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
AbstractHirudin is a pharmacologically active substance in leeches with potent blood anticoagulation properties. Although recombinant hirudin production isolated from Hirudo medicinalis Linnaeus and Hirudinaria manillensis Lesson is known, to our knowledge, this study is the first to report recombinant hirudin expression and production from Hirudo nipponia Whitman. Thus, the present study aimed to clone and characterize the full-length cDNA of a candidate hirudin gene (c16237_g1), which is localized on the salivary gland transcriptome of H. nipponia, and further evaluate its recombinant production using a eukaryotic expression system. The 489-bp cDNA possessed several properties of the hirudin “core” motifs associated with binding to the thrombin catalytic pocket. A fusion expression vector (pPIC9K-hirudin) was constructed and successfully transformed into Pichia pastoris strain GS115 via electroporation. Sodium dodecyl sulphate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and western blot analysis confirmed hirudin expression. The recombinant protein was expressed with a yield of 6.68 mg/L culture. Mass spectrometry analysis further confirmed target protein expression. The concentration and antithrombin activity of purified hirudin were 1.67 mg/mL and 14,000 ATU/mL, respectively. These findings provide a basis for further elucidating the molecular anticoagulation mechanism of hirudin, and address China’s growing market demand for engineered H. nipponia-derived hirudin and hirudin-based drugs.
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Cheng B, Kuang S, Shao G, Tian Q, Gao T, Che X, Ao H, Zhang K, Liu F. Molecular cloning and functional analysis of HnSaratin from Hirudo nipponia. Gene 2023; 869:147401. [PMID: 36996929 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2023.147401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 03/12/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023]
Abstract
In order to finish a bloodmeal successfully, hematophagous organisms often stored a variety of anticoagulant proteins in their salivary glands, such as proteins that inhibit platelet aggregation. When they ingest a bloodmeal, these proteins are injected into the host to prevent the blood from clotting. As one of the origins of leeches used in traditional Chinese medicine, H. nipponia was proved to be clinically effective in treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. This study cloned the sequence of HnSaratin cDNA derived from salivary glands of H. nipponia. The sequence contains an open reading frame of 387 bp, encoding a protein of 128 amino acids containing a signal peptide of 21 amino acids. After removal of the signal peptide, the molecular mass of mature HnSaratin was 12.37 kDa, with a theoretical isoelectric point (pI) of 3.89. The N-terminal of mature HnSaratin was folded into a globular structure, in which 3 disulfide bonds, a ββαβββ topology and 2 Glu residues that binds collagenous Lys2 were located, and the C-terminal formed a flexible region. The fusion HnSaratin protein was obtained by a prokaryotic expression system. The protein showed anti-platelet aggregation activity, and was observed to prevent blood clotting in rats. The significant high expression of HnSaratin mRNA in salivary glands was induced by bloodmeal ingestion of H. nipponia. Briefly, our work provides theoretical basis for further development and utilization of H. nipponia.
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V V, Achar RR, M.U H, N A, T YS, Kameshwar VH, Byrappa K, Ramadas D. Venom peptides - A comprehensive translational perspective in pain management. Curr Res Toxicol 2021; 2:329-340. [PMID: 34604795 PMCID: PMC8473576 DOI: 10.1016/j.crtox.2021.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Revised: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Venom peptides have been evolving complex therapeutic interventions that potently and selectively modulate a range of targets such as ion channels, receptors, and signaling pathways of physiological processes making it potential therapeutic. Several venom peptides were deduced in vivo for clinical development targeting pain management, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, antimicrobial activity. Several contributions have been detailed for a clear perspective for a better understanding of venomous animals, their venom, and their pharmacological effects. Here we unravel and summarize the recent advances in wide venom peptides across varieties of species for their therapeutics prospects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vidya V
- K. S Hegde Medical Academy, NITTE (Deemed to be) University, Mangalore 575015, Karnataka, India
| | - Raghu Ram Achar
- Division of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, S.S. Nagar, Mysuru 570 015, Karnataka, India
| | - Himathi M.U
- Division of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, S.S. Nagar, Mysuru 570 015, Karnataka, India
| | - Akshita N
- Division of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, S.S. Nagar, Mysuru 570 015, Karnataka, India
| | - Yogish Somayaji T
- Department of Post Graduate Studies and Research in Biochemistry, St. Aloysius College (Autonomous), Mangalore 575003, Karnataka, India
| | - Vivek Hamse Kameshwar
- School of Natural Science, Adichunchanagiri University, B.G. Nagara-571448, Nangamangala, Mandya, India
- School of Natural Sciences, ACU-CRI, Adichunchanagiri University, BGSIT Campus, B.G. Nagara-571448, Nagamangala, Mandya, India
| | - K. Byrappa
- School of Natural Sciences, ACU-CRI, Adichunchanagiri University, BGSIT Campus, B.G. Nagara-571448, Nagamangala, Mandya, India
- Center for Material Science and Technology, Vijnana Bhavan, University of Mysore, Mysuru, Karnataka, India
| | - Dinesha Ramadas
- Adichunchanagiri Institute for Molecular Medicine, AIMS, Adichunchanagiri University, B.G. Nagara-571448, Nagamangala, Mandya, India
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Ayhan H, Özyurt Koçakoğlu N, Candan S. Functional morphology of the suckers and teeth of the medicinal leech Hirudo verbana Carena, 1820 (Annelida; Clitellata; Hirudinida): A scanning electron microscope study. Microsc Res Tech 2021; 84:2930-2935. [PMID: 34263498 DOI: 10.1002/jemt.23851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Revised: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
In this study, the triple jaws and suckers of the leeches belonging to the Hirudo verbana Carena, 1820 (Annelida; Clitellata; Hirudinida) were examined using the stereomicroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. In H. verbana, suckers are seen on the first annulus and last annulus of the body. The mouth opens in the center of the front suction cup, and behind this opening is a movable triple jaw apparatus with many teeth. The posterior sucker disc consists of the last seven body segments and lacks an opening. The shape of the jaw is trignatous. The pharynx is equally located around of the three muscular jaws. The jaws are muscular covered with cuticle and carry a row of teeth arranged at the tip. In this study, it was determined that secretory canal holes were identified between the teeth. The results show that the size of teeth determines long-term bleeding so revealing the structure and working mechanism of the teeth has importance for medicinal leeches. At the same time, the difference of teeth and jaw structures of leeches may be a criterion in the classification of medicinal leeches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hüseyin Ayhan
- Vocational School of Health Services, Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University, Ankara, Turkey
| | | | - Selami Candan
- Science Faculty, Department of Biology Ankara, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey
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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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Gorson J, Fassio G, Lau ES, Holford M. Diet Diversity in Carnivorous Terebrid Snails Is Tied to the Presence and Absence of a Venom Gland. Toxins (Basel) 2021; 13:toxins13020108. [PMID: 33540609 PMCID: PMC7912948 DOI: 10.3390/toxins13020108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Revised: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Predator-prey interactions are thought to play a driving role in animal evolution, especially for groups that have developed venom as their predatory strategy. However, how the diet of venomous animals influences the composition of venom arsenals remains uncertain. Two prevailing hypotheses to explain the relationship between diet and venom composition focus on prey preference and the types of compounds in venom, and a positive correlation between dietary breadth and the number of compounds in venom. Here, we examined venom complexity, phylogenetic relationship, collection depth, and biogeography of the Terebridae (auger snails) to determine if repeated innovations in terebrid foregut anatomy and venom composition correspond to diet variation. We performed the first molecular study of the diet of terebrid marine snails by metabarcoding the gut content of 71 terebrid specimens from 17 species. Our results suggest that the presence or absence of a venom gland is strongly correlated with dietary breadth. Specifically, terebrid species without a venom gland displayed greater diversity in their diet. Additionally, we propose a revision of the definition of venom complexity in conoidean snails to more accurately capture the breadth of ecological influences. These findings suggest that prey diet is an important factor in terebrid venom evolution and diversification and further investigations of other understudied organisms, like terebrids, are needed to develop robust hypotheses in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliette Gorson
- Department of Chemistry, Hunter College Belfer Research Center, City University of New York, New York, NY 10021, USA; (J.G.); (G.F.); (E.S.L.)
- Graduate Programs in Biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Division of Invertebrate Zoology, The American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10024, USA
- Department of Biology, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY 11549, USA
| | - Giulia Fassio
- Department of Chemistry, Hunter College Belfer Research Center, City University of New York, New York, NY 10021, USA; (J.G.); (G.F.); (E.S.L.)
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies “Charles Darwin”, Sapienza University of Rome, I-00185 Rome, Italy
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms (BEOM), Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, I-00198 Rome, Italy
| | - Emily S. Lau
- Department of Chemistry, Hunter College Belfer Research Center, City University of New York, New York, NY 10021, USA; (J.G.); (G.F.); (E.S.L.)
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Mandë Holford
- Department of Chemistry, Hunter College Belfer Research Center, City University of New York, New York, NY 10021, USA; (J.G.); (G.F.); (E.S.L.)
- Graduate Programs in Biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Division of Invertebrate Zoology, The American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10024, USA
- Correspondence:
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Iwama RE, Tessler M, Siddall ME, Kvist S. The Origin and Evolution of Antistasin-like Proteins in Leeches (Hirudinida, Clitellata). Genome Biol Evol 2021; 13:evaa242. [PMID: 33527140 PMCID: PMC7851590 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evaa242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/15/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Bloodfeeding is employed by many parasitic animals and requires specific innovations for efficient feeding. Some of these innovations are molecular features that are related to the inhibition of hemostasis. For example, bloodfeeding insects, bats, and leeches release proteins with anticoagulatory activity through their salivary secretions. The antistasin-like protein family, composed of serine protease inhibitors with one or more antistasin-like domains, is tightly linked to inhibition of hemostasis in leeches. However, this protein family has been recorded also in non-bloodfeeding invertebrates, such as cnidarians, mollusks, polychaetes, and oligochaetes. The present study aims to 1) root the antistasin-like gene tree and delimit the major orthologous groups, 2) identify potential independent origins of salivary proteins secreted by leeches, and 3) identify major changes in domain and/or motif structure within each orthologous group. Five clades containing leech antistasin-like proteins are distinguishable through rigorous phylogenetic analyses based on nine new transcriptomes and a diverse set of comparative data: the trypsin + leukocyte elastase inhibitors clade, the antistasin clade, the therostasin clade, and two additional, unnamed clades. The antistasin-like gene tree supports multiple origins of leech antistasin-like proteins due to the presence of both leech and non-leech sequences in one of the unnamed clades, but a single origin of factor Xa and trypsin + leukocyte elastase inhibitors. This is further supported by three sequence motifs that are exclusive to antistasins, the trypsin + leukocyte elastase inhibitor clade, and the therostasin clade, respectively. We discuss the implications of our findings for the evolution of this diverse family of leech anticoagulants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Eiji Iwama
- Department of Natural History, Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Michael Tessler
- Department of Biology, St. Francis College, Brooklyn, New York, USA
- Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York, USA
- Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York, USA
| | | | - Sebastian Kvist
- Department of Natural History, Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Rotenberg D, Baumann AA, Ben-Mahmoud S, Christiaens O, Dermauw W, Ioannidis P, Jacobs CGC, Vargas Jentzsch IM, Oliver JE, Poelchau MF, Rajarapu SP, Schneweis DJ, Snoeck S, Taning CNT, Wei D, Widana Gamage SMK, Hughes DST, Murali SC, Bailey ST, Bejerman NE, Holmes CJ, Jennings EC, Rosendale AJ, Rosselot A, Hervey K, Schneweis BA, Cheng S, Childers C, Simão FA, Dietzgen RG, Chao H, Dinh H, Doddapaneni HV, Dugan S, Han Y, Lee SL, Muzny DM, Qu J, Worley KC, Benoit JB, Friedrich M, Jones JW, Panfilio KA, Park Y, Robertson HM, Smagghe G, Ullman DE, van der Zee M, Van Leeuwen T, Veenstra JA, Waterhouse RM, Weirauch MT, Werren JH, Whitfield AE, Zdobnov EM, Gibbs RA, Richards S. Genome-enabled insights into the biology of thrips as crop pests. BMC Biol 2020; 18:142. [PMID: 33070780 PMCID: PMC7570057 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-020-00862-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande), is a globally invasive pest and plant virus vector on a wide array of food, fiber, and ornamental crops. The underlying genetic mechanisms of the processes governing thrips pest and vector biology, feeding behaviors, ecology, and insecticide resistance are largely unknown. To address this gap, we present the F. occidentalis draft genome assembly and official gene set. RESULTS We report on the first genome sequence for any member of the insect order Thysanoptera. Benchmarking Universal Single-Copy Ortholog (BUSCO) assessments of the genome assembly (size = 415.8 Mb, scaffold N50 = 948.9 kb) revealed a relatively complete and well-annotated assembly in comparison to other insect genomes. The genome is unusually GC-rich (50%) compared to other insect genomes to date. The official gene set (OGS v1.0) contains 16,859 genes, of which ~ 10% were manually verified and corrected by our consortium. We focused on manual annotation, phylogenetic, and expression evidence analyses for gene sets centered on primary themes in the life histories and activities of plant-colonizing insects. Highlights include the following: (1) divergent clades and large expansions in genes associated with environmental sensing (chemosensory receptors) and detoxification (CYP4, CYP6, and CCE enzymes) of substances encountered in agricultural environments; (2) a comprehensive set of salivary gland genes supported by enriched expression; (3) apparent absence of members of the IMD innate immune defense pathway; and (4) developmental- and sex-specific expression analyses of genes associated with progression from larvae to adulthood through neometaboly, a distinct form of maturation differing from either incomplete or complete metamorphosis in the Insecta. CONCLUSIONS Analysis of the F. occidentalis genome offers insights into the polyphagous behavior of this insect pest that finds, colonizes, and survives on a widely diverse array of plants. The genomic resources presented here enable a more complete analysis of insect evolution and biology, providing a missing taxon for contemporary insect genomics-based analyses. Our study also offers a genomic benchmark for molecular and evolutionary investigations of other Thysanoptera species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorith Rotenberg
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA.
| | - Aaron A Baumann
- Virology Section, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, A239 VTH, 2407 River Drive, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA
| | - Sulley Ben-Mahmoud
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Olivier Christiaens
- Laboratory of Agrozoology, Department of Plants and Crops, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Wannes Dermauw
- Laboratory of Agrozoology, Department of Plants and Crops, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Panagiotis Ioannidis
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Vassilika Vouton, 70013, Heraklion, Greece
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva Medical School, and Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Chris G C Jacobs
- Institute of Biology, Leiden University, 2333 BE, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Iris M Vargas Jentzsch
- Institute for Zoology: Developmental Biology, University of Cologne, 50674, Cologne, Germany
| | - Jonathan E Oliver
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Georgia - Tifton Campus, Tifton, GA, 31793-5737, USA
| | | | - Swapna Priya Rajarapu
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA
| | - Derek J Schneweis
- Department of Plant Pathology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA
| | - Simon Snoeck
- Laboratory of Agrozoology, Department of Plants and Crops, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98105, USA
| | - Clauvis N T Taning
- Laboratory of Agrozoology, Department of Plants and Crops, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Dong Wei
- Laboratory of Agrozoology, Department of Plants and Crops, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Entomology and Pest Control Engineering, College of Plant Protection, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- International Joint Laboratory of China-Belgium on Sustainable Crop Pest Control, Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China and Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - Daniel S T Hughes
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Shwetha C Murali
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Samuel T Bailey
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA
| | | | - Christopher J Holmes
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA
| | - Emily C Jennings
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA
| | - Andrew J Rosendale
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA
- Department of Biology, Mount St. Joseph University, Cincinnati, OH, 45233, USA
| | - Andrew Rosselot
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA
| | - Kaylee Hervey
- Department of Plant Pathology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA
| | - Brandi A Schneweis
- Department of Plant Pathology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA
| | - Sammy Cheng
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA
| | | | - Felipe A Simão
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva Medical School, and Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Ralf G Dietzgen
- Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Hsu Chao
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Huyen Dinh
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Harsha Vardhan Doddapaneni
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Shannon Dugan
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Yi Han
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Sandra L Lee
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Donna M Muzny
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Jiaxin Qu
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Kim C Worley
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Joshua B Benoit
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA
| | - Markus Friedrich
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, 48202, USA
| | - Jeffery W Jones
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, 48202, USA
| | - Kristen A Panfilio
- Institute for Zoology: Developmental Biology, University of Cologne, 50674, Cologne, Germany
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Campus, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK
| | - Yoonseong Park
- Department of Entomology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA
| | - Hugh M Robertson
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Guy Smagghe
- Laboratory of Agrozoology, Department of Plants and Crops, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Entomology and Pest Control Engineering, College of Plant Protection, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- International Joint Laboratory of China-Belgium on Sustainable Crop Pest Control, Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China and Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Diane E Ullman
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | | | - Thomas Van Leeuwen
- Laboratory of Agrozoology, Department of Plants and Crops, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Jan A Veenstra
- INCIA UMR 5287 CNRS, University of Bordeaux, Pessac, France
| | - Robert M Waterhouse
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Lausanne, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Matthew T Weirauch
- Center for Autoimmune Genomics and Etiology, Divisions of Biomedical Informatics and Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | - John H Werren
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA
| | - Anna E Whitfield
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA
| | - Evgeny M Zdobnov
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva Medical School, and Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Richard A Gibbs
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Stephen Richards
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
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11
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Singh SK, Rajoria K. Medical leech therapy in Ayurveda and biomedicine - A review. J Ayurveda Integr Med 2020; 11:554-564. [PMID: 30709686 PMCID: PMC7772495 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaim.2018.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2018] [Revised: 09/28/2018] [Accepted: 09/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Medicinal leech therapy or Hirudino therapy have roots back in ancient civilization. It was a prevalent form of therapy in various ailments. The novel Ayurveda text Sushruta Samhita devoted a complete chapter on hirudino therapy. In the early 20th century this therapy had a major setback due to origin and evolution of antibiotics. There was a discontinuity in the flow of knowledge about this therapy. Then, resumed and revived after few recent decades, due to its contribution in reconstructive surgeries. During this period, the research work on various aspects have been conducted. The present paper summarizes the various aspects of medicinal leech therapy both from Ayurveda text and the present knowledge and to enable the fraternity to use the both source for benefits of humankind.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarvesh Kumar Singh
- Department of Panchakarma, National Institute of Ayurveda, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India.
| | - Kshipra Rajoria
- Department of Panchakarma, National Institute of Ayurveda, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
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12
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Saglam N, Saunders R, Shain DH, Saidel WM. Detailed ultrastructure of the Hirudo (Annelida: Hirudinea) salivary gland. Micron 2020; 136:102887. [DOI: 10.1016/j.micron.2020.102887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2020] [Revised: 05/09/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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13
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Phillips AJ, Govedich FR, Moser WE. Leeches in the extreme: Morphological, physiological, and behavioral adaptations to inhospitable habitats. Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl 2020; 12:318-325. [PMID: 33101909 PMCID: PMC7569739 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2020.09.003] [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: 08/21/2020] [Revised: 09/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
With more than 700 described species, leeches include morphological, physiological, and behavioral diversity and occur in terrestrial and aquatic habitats, including freshwater, estuarine, and marine ecosystems. Leeches inhabit a number of extreme environments, including extremes in temperature, moisture, salinity, pressure, light, and pollution. In some cases, leeches in extreme environments have specialized morphological, physiological, or behavioral adaptations to survive these conditions, yet unique adaptations are not apparent in some species. Leeches that inhabit inhospitable habitats occur in more than one branch or family of leech phylogeny suggesting that there have been independent invasions of environments with extreme conditions. Herein, we review examples of leeches that live in extreme conditions and the exceptional biology that has contributed to leeches being the most extreme annelids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna J. Phillips
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, 10th Street and Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 20560, USA
| | - Fredric R. Govedich
- Biology Department, Southern Utah University, 351 W. University Blvd., Cedar City, UT, 84720, USA
| | - William E. Moser
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Museum Support Center–MRC 534, 4210 Silver Hill Road, Suitland, MD, 20746, USA
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14
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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: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [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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Babenko VV, Podgorny OV, Manuvera VA, Kasianov AS, Manolov AI, Grafskaia EN, Shirokov DA, Kurdyumov AS, Vinogradov DV, Nikitina AS, Kovalchuk SI, Anikanov NA, Butenko IO, Pobeguts OV, Matyushkina DS, Rakitina DV, Kostryukova ES, Zgoda VG, Baskova IP, Trukhan VM, Gelfand MS, Govorun VM, Schiöth HB, Lazarev VN. Draft genome sequences of Hirudo medicinalis and salivary transcriptome of three closely related medicinal leeches. BMC Genomics 2020; 21:331. [PMID: 32349672 PMCID: PMC7191736 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-020-6748-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2019] [Accepted: 04/21/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Salivary cell secretion (SCS) plays a critical role in blood feeding by medicinal leeches, making them of use for certain medical purposes even today. RESULTS We annotated the Hirudo medicinalis genome and performed RNA-seq on salivary cells isolated from three closely related leech species, H. medicinalis, Hirudo orientalis, and Hirudo verbana. Differential expression analysis verified by proteomics identified salivary cell-specific gene expression, many of which encode previously unknown salivary components. However, the genes encoding known anticoagulants have been found to be expressed not only in salivary cells. The function-related analysis of the unique salivary cell genes enabled an update of the concept of interactions between salivary proteins and components of haemostasis. CONCLUSIONS Here we report a genome draft of Hirudo medicinalis and describe identification of novel salivary proteins and new homologs of genes encoding known anticoagulants in transcriptomes of three medicinal leech species. Our data provide new insights in genetics of blood-feeding lifestyle in leeches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladislav V Babenko
- Federal Research and Clinical Centre of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, 1a Malaya Pirogovskaya Str, Moscow, 119435, Russia.
| | - Oleg V Podgorny
- Federal Research and Clinical Centre of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, 1a Malaya Pirogovskaya Str, Moscow, 119435, Russia
- Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 26 Vavilov str, Moscow, 119334, Russia
| | - Valentin A Manuvera
- Federal Research and Clinical Centre of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, 1a Malaya Pirogovskaya Str, Moscow, 119435, Russia
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 9 Institutskiy per., Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, 141700, Russia
| | - Artem S Kasianov
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 9 Institutskiy per., Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, 141700, Russia
- Vavilov Institute of General Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, 3 Gubkina str, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - Alexander I Manolov
- Federal Research and Clinical Centre of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, 1a Malaya Pirogovskaya Str, Moscow, 119435, Russia
| | - Ekaterina N Grafskaia
- Federal Research and Clinical Centre of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, 1a Malaya Pirogovskaya Str, Moscow, 119435, Russia
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 9 Institutskiy per., Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, 141700, Russia
| | - Dmitriy A Shirokov
- Federal Research and Clinical Centre of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, 1a Malaya Pirogovskaya Str, Moscow, 119435, Russia
| | - Alexey S Kurdyumov
- Federal Research and Clinical Centre of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, 1a Malaya Pirogovskaya Str, Moscow, 119435, Russia
| | - Dmitriy V Vinogradov
- A.A. Kharkevich Institute for Information Transmission Problems, Russian Academy of Sciences, 19 Bol'shoi Karetnyi per, Moscow, 127051, Russia
- Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, 3 Nobelya Ulitsa str, Moscow, 121205, Russia
| | - Anastasia S Nikitina
- Federal Research and Clinical Centre of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, 1a Malaya Pirogovskaya Str, Moscow, 119435, Russia
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 9 Institutskiy per., Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, 141700, Russia
| | - Sergey I Kovalchuk
- Federal Research and Clinical Centre of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, 1a Malaya Pirogovskaya Str, Moscow, 119435, Russia
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 16/10 Miklukho-Maklaya str, Moscow, 117997, Russia
| | - Nickolay A Anikanov
- Federal Research and Clinical Centre of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, 1a Malaya Pirogovskaya Str, Moscow, 119435, Russia
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 16/10 Miklukho-Maklaya str, Moscow, 117997, Russia
| | - Ivan O Butenko
- Federal Research and Clinical Centre of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, 1a Malaya Pirogovskaya Str, Moscow, 119435, Russia
| | - Olga V Pobeguts
- Federal Research and Clinical Centre of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, 1a Malaya Pirogovskaya Str, Moscow, 119435, Russia
| | - Daria S Matyushkina
- Federal Research and Clinical Centre of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, 1a Malaya Pirogovskaya Str, Moscow, 119435, Russia
| | - Daria V Rakitina
- Federal Research and Clinical Centre of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, 1a Malaya Pirogovskaya Str, Moscow, 119435, Russia
| | - Elena S Kostryukova
- Federal Research and Clinical Centre of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, 1a Malaya Pirogovskaya Str, Moscow, 119435, Russia
| | - Victor G Zgoda
- V.N. Orekhovich Research Institute of Biomedical Chemistry, Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, 10 Pogodinskaja str, Moscow, 119832, Russia
| | - Isolda P Baskova
- Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 1-12 Leninskie Gory, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - Vladimir M Trukhan
- I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University of the Ministry of Healthcare of the Russian Federation (Sechenovskiy University), Trubetskaya str., 8-2, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - Mikhail S Gelfand
- A.A. Kharkevich Institute for Information Transmission Problems, Russian Academy of Sciences, 19 Bol'shoi Karetnyi per, Moscow, 127051, Russia
- Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, 3 Nobelya Ulitsa str, Moscow, 121205, Russia
- Faculty of Computer Science, National Research University Higher School of Economics, 20 Myasnitskaya str, Moscow, 101000, Russia
- Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 1-73 Leninskie Gory, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - Vadim M Govorun
- Federal Research and Clinical Centre of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, 1a Malaya Pirogovskaya Str, Moscow, 119435, Russia
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 9 Institutskiy per., Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, 141700, Russia
| | - Helgi B Schiöth
- I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University of the Ministry of Healthcare of the Russian Federation (Sechenovskiy University), Trubetskaya str., 8-2, Moscow, 119991, Russia
- Functional Pharmacology, Department of Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Husargatan 3, Uppsala, 75124, Sweden
| | - Vassili N Lazarev
- Federal Research and Clinical Centre of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, 1a Malaya Pirogovskaya Str, Moscow, 119435, Russia
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 9 Institutskiy per., Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, 141700, Russia
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16
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Lemke S, Vilcinskas A. European Medicinal Leeches-New Roles in Modern Medicine. Biomedicines 2020; 8:biomedicines8050099. [PMID: 32349294 PMCID: PMC7277884 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines8050099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Revised: 04/18/2020] [Accepted: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Before the advent of modern medicine, natural resources were widely used by indigenous populations for the prevention and treatment of diseases. The associated knowledge, collectively described as folk medicine or traditional medicine, was largely based on trial-and-error testing of plant extracts (herbal remedies) and the use of invertebrates, particularly medicinal maggots of the blowfly Lucilia sericata and blood-sucking leeches. The widespread use of traditional medicine in the West declined as scientific advances allowed reproducible testing under controlled conditions and gave rise to the modern fields of biomedical research and pharmacology. However, many drugs are still derived from natural resources, and interest in traditional medicine has been renewed by the ability of researchers to investigate the medical potential of diverse species by high-throughput screening. Likewise, researchers are starting to look again at the benefits of maggot and leech therapy, based on the hypothesis that the use of such animals in traditional medicine is likely to reflect the presence of specific bioactive molecules that can be developed as drug leads. In this review, we consider the modern medical benefits of European medicinal leeches based on the systematic screening of their salivary proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Lemke
- Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, D-35392 Giessen, Germany;
| | - Andreas Vilcinskas
- Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, D-35392 Giessen, Germany;
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Department of Bioresources, Ohlebergsweg 12, D-35392 Giessen, Germany
- Correspondence:
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17
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Müller C, Lukas P, Böhmert M, Hildebrandt J. Hirudin or hirudin‐like factor ‐ that is the question: insights from the analyses of natural and synthetic HLF variants. FEBS Lett 2019; 594:841-850. [DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.13683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2019] [Revised: 11/07/2019] [Accepted: 11/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Christian Müller
- Animal Physiology and Biochemistry Zoological Institute and Museum University of Greifswald Germany
| | - Phil Lukas
- Animal Physiology and Biochemistry Zoological Institute and Museum University of Greifswald Germany
| | - Michel Böhmert
- Animal Physiology and Biochemistry Zoological Institute and Museum University of Greifswald Germany
| | - Jan‐Peter Hildebrandt
- Animal Physiology and Biochemistry Zoological Institute and Museum University of Greifswald Germany
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18
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Cheng B, Liu F, Guo Q, Lu Y, Shi H, Ding A, Xu C. Identification and characterization of hirudin-HN, a new thrombin inhibitor, from the salivary glands of Hirudo nipponia. PeerJ 2019; 7:e7716. [PMID: 31592161 PMCID: PMC6776071 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.7716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2019] [Accepted: 08/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Transcriptome sequencing data (6.5 Gb) of the salivary glands of the haematophagous leech Hirudo nipponia was obtained by using the BGIseq-500 platform. After identification and analysis, one transcript (Unigene5370) was annotated to hirudin HV3 from Hirudo medicinalis with an e-value of 1e-29 and was named hirudin-HN. This transcript was a new thrombin inhibitor gene belonging to the proteinase inhibitor I14 (hirudin) family. Hirudin-HN, with a 270-bp cDNA, encodes an 89-aa protein containing a 20-aa signal peptide. The mature hirudin-HN protein contains the typical structural characteristics of hirudin, e.g., three conserved disulfide bonds and the PKP and DFxxIP motifs. Proteins (Hir and M-Hir) were obtained via prokaryotic expression, and the mature hirudin-HN protein was shown to have anticoagulant activity and thrombin affinity by using the chromogenic substrate S2238 and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) interaction analysis, respectively. The N-terminal structure of the mature hirudin-HN protein was shown to be important for anticoagulant activity by comparing the activity and thrombin affinity of Hir and M-Hir. The abundances of Hirudin-HN mRNA and protein were higher in the salivary glands of starving animals than in those of feeding or fed leeches. These results provided a foundation for further study on the structure-function relationship of hirudin-HN with thrombin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boxing Cheng
- Institute of Chinese Medicinal Materials, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China.,School of Biological Sciences, Guizhou Education University, Gui Yang, China
| | - Fei Liu
- School of Marine and Bioengineering, Yancheng Institute of Technology, Yan Cheng, China
| | - Qiaosheng Guo
- Institute of Chinese Medicinal Materials, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yuxi Lu
- Institute of Chinese Medicinal Materials, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Hongzhuan Shi
- Institute of Chinese Medicinal Materials, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Andong Ding
- Institute of Chinese Medicinal Materials, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Chengfeng Xu
- Institute of Chinese Medicinal Materials, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
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19
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Kwak HJ, Park JS, Medina Jiménez BI, Park SC, Cho SJ. Spatiotemporal Expression of Anticoagulation Factor Antistasin in Freshwater Leeches. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20163994. [PMID: 31426335 PMCID: PMC6719055 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20163994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2019] [Revised: 08/07/2019] [Accepted: 08/14/2019] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Antistasin, which was originally discovered in the salivary glands of the Mexican leech Haementeria officinalis, was newly isolated from Helobdella austinensis. To confirm the temporal expression of antistasin during embryogenesis, we carried out semi-quantitative RT-PCR. Hau-antistasin1 was uniquely expressed at stage 4 of the cleavage and was strongly expressed in the late stages of organogenesis, as were other antistasin members. In order to confirm the spatial expression of antistasin, we performed fluorescence in situ hybridization in the late stages of organogenesis. The expression of each antistasin in the proboscis showed a similar pattern and varied in expression in the body. In addition, the spatial expression of antistasin orthologs in different leeches showed the possibility of different function across leech species. Hau-antistasin1 was expressed in the same region as hedgehog, which is a known mediator of signal transduction pathway. Hau-antistasin1 is probably a downstream target of Hedgehog signaling, involved in segment polarity signal pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hee-Jin Kwak
- School of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Chungbuk 28644, Korea
| | - Jeong-Su Park
- School of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Chungbuk 28644, Korea
- School of Life Sciences, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), Gwangju 61005, Korea
| | - Brenda Irene Medina Jiménez
- School of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Chungbuk 28644, Korea
- Department of Earth Sciences, Paleobiology, Uppsala University, Villavägen 16, 75236 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Soon Cheol Park
- Department of Life Sciences, Chung-Ang University, Seoul 156-756, Korea
| | - Sung-Jin Cho
- School of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Chungbuk 28644, Korea.
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20
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Phillips AJ, Salas-Montiel R, Kvist S, Oceguera-Figueroa A. Phylogenetic Position and Description of a New Species of Medicinal Leech from the Eastern United States. J Parasitol 2019. [PMID: 31414949 DOI: 10.1645/18-119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
A new species of medicinal leech, Macrobdella mimicus n. sp., is described from specimens collected in Maryland; this is the first description of a North American macrobdellid since 1975. Superficially, the new species resembles the well-known Macrobdella decora, as both species possess 4 accessory pores arranged symmetrically on the ventral surface, yet the new species is distinguished from M. decora in possessing 4-4½ annuli (rather than 3½) between the gonopores and 4 annuli (rather than 5 annuli) between the female gonopore and the first pair of accessory pores. Phylogenetic analyses, based on 2 mitochondrial and 2 nuclear loci for a set of closely related taxa, confirms the placement of the new species within the family Macrobdellidae and places it as the sister taxon to M. decora and M. diplotertia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna J Phillips
- 1 Department of Invertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, 10th Street and Constitution Avenue Northwest, Washington, DC 20560-0163
| | - Ricardo Salas-Montiel
- 2 Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Tercer Circuito s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, Copilco, Coyoacán, A.P. 70-153, C.P. 04510, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Sebastian Kvist
- 3 Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queen's Park, Toronto, Ontario M5S 2C6, Canada, and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks Street, Toronto, ON M5S 2B4, Canada
| | - Alejandro Oceguera-Figueroa
- 4 Laboratorio de Helmintología. Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Tercer Circuito s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, Copilco, Coyoacán, A.P. 70-153, C.P. 04510, Mexico City, Mexico
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21
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REN SH, LIU ZJ, CAO Y, HUA Y, CHEN C, GUO W, KONG Y. A novel protease-activated receptor 1 inhibitor from the leech Whitmania pigra. Chin J Nat Med 2019; 17:591-599. [DOI: 10.1016/s1875-5364(19)30061-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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22
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The salivary transcriptome of Limnobdella mexicana (Annelida: Clitellata: Praobdellidae) and orthology determination of major leech anticoagulants. Parasitology 2019; 146:1338-1346. [PMID: 31148528 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182019000593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Bloodfeeding requires several adaptations that allow the parasite to feed efficiently. Leeches and other hematophagous animals have developed different mechanisms to inhibit hemostasis, one of the main barriers imposed by their hosts. Limnobdella mexicana is a member of the leech family Praobdellidae, a family of host generalists known for their preference to attach on mucosal membranes of mammals, such as those in nasopharyngeal cavities, bladders and ocular orbits. Previous studies have hypothesized a positive relationship between diversity of anticoagulants and diversity of hosts in bloodfeeding leeches. However, orthology determination of putative anticoagulants and the lack of standardization of sequencing effort and method hinder comparisons between publicly available transcriptomes generated in different laboratories. In the present study, we examine the first transcriptome of a praobdellid leech and identify 15 putative anticoagulants using a phylogeny-based inference approach, amino-acid conservation, Pfam domains and BLAST searches. Our phylogenetic analyses suggest that the ancestral leech was able to inhibit factor Xa and that some hirudins that have been reported in previous studies on leech anticoagulants may not be orthologous with the archetypal hirudin.
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Hirudins of the Asian medicinal leech, Hirudinaria manillensis: same same, but different. Parasitol Res 2019; 118:2223-2233. [DOI: 10.1007/s00436-019-06365-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2019] [Accepted: 05/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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Müller C, Lukas P, Lemke S, Hildebrandt JP. Hirudin and Decorsins of the North American Medicinal Leech Macrobdella decora: Gene Structure Reveals Homology to Hirudins and Hirudin-Like Factors of Eurasian Medicinal Leeches. J Parasitol 2019. [DOI: 10.1645/18-117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Christian Müller
- Animal Physiology and Biochemistry, Zoological Institute and Museum, University of Greifswald, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Phil Lukas
- Animal Physiology and Biochemistry, Zoological Institute and Museum, University of Greifswald, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Sarah Lemke
- Animal Physiology and Biochemistry, Zoological Institute and Museum, University of Greifswald, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Jan-Peter Hildebrandt
- Animal Physiology and Biochemistry, Zoological Institute and Museum, University of Greifswald, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
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Liu Z, Tong X, Su Y, Wang D, Du X, Zhao F, Wang D, Zhao F. In-depth profiles of bioactive large molecules in saliva secretions of leeches determined by combining salivary gland proteome and transcriptome data. J Proteomics 2019; 200:153-160. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2019.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2018] [Revised: 03/12/2019] [Accepted: 03/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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Khan MS, Guan D, Kvist S, Ma L, Xie J, Xu S. Transcriptomics and differential gene expression in Whitmania pigra (Annelida: Clitellata: Hirudinida: Hirudinidae): Contrasting feeding and fasting modes. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:4706-4719. [PMID: 31031937 PMCID: PMC6476756 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2019] [Revised: 02/26/2019] [Accepted: 02/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The medicinal utility of leeches has been demonstrated through decades of use in modern hospital settings, mainly as relievers of venous congestion following flap or digit replantation surgery. In the present study, we sequence and annotate (through BLAST- and Gene Ontology-based approaches) the salivary transcriptome of the nonblood feeding hirudinid Whitmania pigra and assess the differential gene expression of anticoagulation factors (through both quantitative real-time PCR [qRT-PCR] and in silico-based methods) during feeding and fasting conditions. This was done in order to evince the diversity of putative anticoagulation factors, as well as estimate the levels of upregulation of genes immediately after feeding. In total, we found sequences with demonstrated orthology (via both phylogenetic analyses and BLAST-based approaches) to seven different proteins that have previously been linked to anticoagulatory capabilities-eglin C, bdellin, granulin, guamerin, hyaluronidase, destabilase I, and lipocalin. All of these were recovered from leeches both in the fasting and in the feeding conditions, but all show signs of upregulation in the feeding leeches. Interestingly, our RNA-seq effort, coupled with a hypergeometric test, indicated that the differentially expressed genes were disproportionately involved in three main immunological pathways (endocytosis, peroxisome regulation, and lysosome regulation). The results and implications of the finding of anticoagulants in this nonblood feeding leech and the putative upregulation of anticoagulation factors after feeding are briefly discussed in an evolutionary context.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - De‐Long Guan
- College of Life SciencesShaanxi Normal UniversityXi'anChina
| | - Sebastian Kvist
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of TorontoTorontoOntarioCanada
- Department of Natural HistoryRoyal Ontario MuseumTorontoOntarioCanada
| | - Li‐Bin Ma
- College of Life SciencesShaanxi Normal UniversityXi'anChina
| | - Juan‐Ying Xie
- School of Computer ScienceShaanxi Normal UniversityXi'anChina
| | - Sheng‐Quan Xu
- College of Life SciencesShaanxi Normal UniversityXi'anChina
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Lu Z, Shi P, You H, Liu Y, Chen S. Transcriptomic analysis of the salivary gland of medicinal leech Hirudo nipponia. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0205875. [PMID: 30339694 PMCID: PMC6195274 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0205875] [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: 01/15/2018] [Accepted: 10/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Hirudo nipponia (known as Shui Zhi in Chinese) is a well-known Chinese medicine with numerous active ingredients in its body, especially in its saliva. This native Chinese blood-sucking leech has been used for therapeutic purposes since before 100 AD. Modern Chinese physicians use it for a wide range of diseases. Genomic data and molecular information about the pharmacologically active substances produced by this medicinal leech are presently unavailable despite this organism’s medicinal importance. In this study, we performed transcriptome profiling of the salivary glands of medicinal leech H. nipponia using the Illumina platform. In total, 84,657,362 clean reads were assembled into 50,535 unigenes. The obtained unigenes were compared to public databases. Furthermore, a unigene sequence similarity search and comparisons with the whole transcriptome of medical leech were performed to identify potential proteins. Finally, more than 21 genes were predicted to be involved in anticoagulatory, antithrombotic, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antitumor processes, which might play important roles in the treatment of various diseases. This study is the first analysis of a sialotranscriptome in H. nipponia. The transcriptome profile will shed light on its genetic background and provide a useful tool to deepen our understanding of the medical value of H. nipponia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zenghui Lu
- Chongqing Academy of Chinese Materia Medica, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Sub-center of National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Science, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Resources, Chongqing, China
| | - Ping Shi
- Chongqing Academy of Chinese Materia Medica, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Sub-center of National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Science, Chongqing, China
| | - Huajian You
- Chongqing Academy of Chinese Materia Medica, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Resources, Chongqing, China
| | - Yanqi Liu
- Chongqing Academy of Chinese Materia Medica, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Resources, Chongqing, China
| | - Shijiang Chen
- Chongqing Academy of Chinese Materia Medica, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Sub-center of National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Science, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Resources, Chongqing, China
- * E-mail:
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Guan DL, Ma LB, Khan MS, Zhang XX, Xu SQ, Xie JY. Analysis of codon usage patterns in Hirudinaria manillensis reveals a preference for GC-ending codons caused by dominant selection constraints. BMC Genomics 2018; 19:542. [PMID: 30016953 PMCID: PMC6050667 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-018-4937-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2017] [Accepted: 07/10/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Hirudinaria manillensis is an ephemeral, blood-sucking ectoparasite, possessing anticoagulant capacities with potential medical applications. Analysis of codon usage patterns would contribute to our understanding of the evolutionary mechanisms and genetic architecture of H. manillensis, which in turn would provide insight into the characteristics of other leeches. We analysed codon usage and related indices using 18,000 coding sequences (CDSs) retrieved from H. manillensis RNA-Seq data. Results We identified four highly preferred codons in H. manillensis that have G/C-endings. Points generated in an effective number of codons (ENC) plot distributed below the standard curve and the slope of a neutrality plot was less than 1. Highly expressed CDSs had lower ENC content and higher GC content than weakly expressed CDSs. Principal component analysis conducted on relative synonymous codon usage (RSCU) values divided CDSs according to GC content and divided codons according to ending bases. Moreover, by determining codon usage, we found that the majority of blood-diet related genes have undergone less adaptive evolution in H. manillensis, except for those with homologous sequences in the host species. Conclusions Codon usage in H. manillensis had an overall preference toward C-endings and indicated that codon usage patterns are mediated by differential expression, GC content, and biological function. Although mutation pressure effects were also notable, the majority of genetic evolution in H. manillensis was driven by natural selection. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12864-018-4937-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- De-Long Guan
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710119, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Li-Bin Ma
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710119, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Muhammad Salabat Khan
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710119, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiu-Xiu Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710119, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Sheng-Quan Xu
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710119, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China.
| | - Juan-Ying Xie
- School of Computer Science, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710119, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China.
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Liu Z, Zhao F, Tong X, Liu K, Wang B, Yang L, Ning T, Wang Y, Zhao F, Wang D, Wang D. Comparative transcriptomic analysis reveals the mechanism of leech environmental adaptation. Gene 2018; 664:70-77. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2018.04.063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2017] [Revised: 03/09/2018] [Accepted: 04/20/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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Tessler M, Marancik D, Champagne D, Dove A, Camus A, Siddall ME, Kvist S. Marine Leech Anticoagulant Diversity and Evolution. J Parasitol 2018; 104:210-220. [PMID: 29505345 DOI: 10.1645/17-64] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Leeches (Annelida: Hirudinea) possess powerful salivary anticoagulants and, accordingly, are frequently employed in modern, authoritative medicine. Members of the almost exclusively marine family Piscicolidae account for 20% of leech species diversity, and they feed on host groups (e.g., sharks) not encountered by their freshwater and terrestrial counterparts. Moreover, some species of Ozobranchidae feed on endangered marine turtles and have been implicated as potential vectors for the tumor-associated turtle herpesvirus. In spite of their ecological importance and unique host associations, there is a distinct paucity of data regarding the salivary transcriptomes of either of these families. Using next-generation sequencing, we profiled transcribed, putative anticoagulants and other salivary bioactive compounds that have previously been linked to blood feeding from 7 piscicolid species (3 elasmobranch feeders; 4 non-cartilaginous fish feeders) and 1 ozobranchid species (2 samples). In total, 149 putative anticoagulants and bioactive loci were discovered in varying constellations throughout the different samples. The putative anticoagulants showed a broad spectrum of described antagonistic pathways, such as inhibition of factor Xa and platelet aggregation, which likely have similar bioactive roles in marine fish and turtles. A transcript with homology to ohanin, originally isolated from king cobras, was found in Cystobranchus vividus but is otherwise unknown from leeches. Estimation of selection pressures for the putative anticoagulants recovered evidence for both positive and purifying selection along several isolated branches in the gene trees, and positive selection was also estimated for a few select codons in a variety of marine species. Similarly, phylogenetic analyses of the amino acid sequences for several anticoagulants indicated divergent evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Tessler
- 1 Richard Gilder Graduate School, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, New York 10024.,2 Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, New York 10024.,3 Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, New York 10024
| | - David Marancik
- 4 Department of Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, 501 D. W. Brooks Drive, Athens, Georgia 30602
| | - Donald Champagne
- 5 Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, 413 Biological Sciences Building, Athens, Georgia 30602
| | - Alistair Dove
- 6 Georgia Aquarium, 225 Baker Street, Atlanta, Georgia 30313
| | - Alvin Camus
- 4 Department of Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, 501 D. W. Brooks Drive, Athens, Georgia 30602
| | - Mark E Siddall
- 2 Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, New York 10024.,3 Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, New York 10024
| | - Sebastian Kvist
- 7 Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queen's Park, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 2C6, Canada.,8 Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3B2, Canada
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Verdes A, Simpson D, Holford M. Are Fireworms Venomous? Evidence for the Convergent Evolution of Toxin Homologs in Three Species of Fireworms (Annelida, Amphinomidae). Genome Biol Evol 2018; 10:249-268. [PMID: 29293976 PMCID: PMC5778601 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evx279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Amphinomids, more commonly known as fireworms, are a basal lineage of marine annelids characterized by the presence of defensive dorsal calcareous chaetae, which break off upon contact. It has long been hypothesized that amphinomids are venomous and use the chaetae to inject a toxic substance. However, studies investigating fireworm venom from a morphological or molecular perspective are scarce and no venom gland has been identified to date, nor any toxin characterized at the molecular level. To investigate this question, we analyzed the transcriptomes of three species of fireworms-Eurythoe complanata, Hermodice carunculata, and Paramphinome jeffreysii-following a venomics approach to identify putative venom compounds. Our venomics pipeline involved de novo transcriptome assembly, open reading frame, and signal sequence prediction, followed by three different homology search strategies: BLAST, HMMER sequence, and HMMER domain. Following this pipeline, we identified 34 clusters of orthologous genes, representing 13 known toxin classes that have been repeatedly recruited into animal venoms. Specifically, the three species share a similar toxin profile with C-type lectins, peptidases, metalloproteinases, spider toxins, and CAP proteins found among the most highly expressed toxin homologs. Despite their great diversity, the putative toxins identified are predominantly involved in three major biological processes: hemostasis, inflammatory response, and allergic reactions, all of which are commonly disrupted after fireworm stings. Although the putative fireworm toxins identified here need to be further validated, our results strongly suggest that fireworms are venomous animals that use a complex mixture of toxins for defense against predators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aida Verdes
- Department of Chemistry, Hunter College Belfer Research Center, and The Graduate Center, Program in Biology, Chemistry and Biochemistry, City University of New York
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York
- Departamento de Biología (Zoología), Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain
| | - Danny Simpson
- Department of Population Health, New York University School of Medicine
| | - Mandë Holford
- Department of Chemistry, Hunter College Belfer Research Center, and The Graduate Center, Program in Biology, Chemistry and Biochemistry, City University of New York
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University
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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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Kvist S, Oceguera-Figueroa A, Tessler M, Jiménez-Armenta J, Freeman RM, Giribet G, Siddall ME. When predator becomes prey: investigating the salivary transcriptome of the shark-feeding leechPontobdella macrothela(Hirudinea: Piscicolidae). Zool J Linn Soc 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/zoj.12473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Kvist
- Department of Natural History; Royal Ontario Museum; 100 Queen's Park Toronto ON M5S 2C6 Canada
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; University of Toronto; 25 Willcocks Street Toronto ON M5S 3B2 Canada
| | - Alejandro Oceguera-Figueroa
- Laboratorio de Helmintología; Departamento de Zoología; Instituto de Biología; Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; Coyoacán Mexico City 04510 Mexico
| | - 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
| | - Jossué Jiménez-Armenta
- Laboratorio de Helmintología; Departamento de Zoología; Instituto de Biología; Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; Coyoacán Mexico City 04510 Mexico
| | | | - Gonzalo Giribet
- Museum of Comparative Zoology & Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology; Harvard University; Cambridge MA 02138 USA
| | - Mark E. Siddall
- Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics; American Museum of Natural History; Central Park West at 79th Street New York NY 10024 USA
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Siddall ME, Brugler MR, Kvist S. Comparative Transcriptomic Analyses of Three Species of Placobdella (Rhynchobdellida: Glossiphoniidae) Confirms a Single Origin of Blood Feeding in Leeches. J Parasitol 2015; 102:143-50. [PMID: 26535976 DOI: 10.1645/15-802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the recalcitrant questions regarding the evolutionary history of clitellate annelids involves the feeding preference of the common ancestor of extant rhynchobdellid (proboscis bearing) and arhynchobdellid (jaw bearing) leeches. Whereas early evidence, based on morphological data, pointed towards independent acquisitions of blood feeding in the 2 orders, molecular-based phylogenetic data suggest that the ancestor of modern leeches was a sanguivore. Here, we use a comparative transcriptomic approach in order to increase our understanding of the diversity of anticoagulation factors for 3 species of the genus Placobdella, for which comparative data have been lacking, and inspect these in light of archetypal anticoagulant data for both arhynchobdellid and other rhynchobdellid species. Notwithstanding the varying levels of host specificity displayed by the 3 different species of Placobdella, transcriptomic profiles with respect to anticoagulation factors were largely similar -this despite the fact that Placobdella kwetlumye only retains a single pair of salivary glands, as opposed to the 2 pairs more common in the genus. Results show that 9 different anticoagulant proteins and an additional 5 putative antihemostasis proteins are expressed in salivary secretions of the 3 species. In particular, an ortholog of the archetypal, single-copy, anticoagulant hirudin (not previously available as comparative data for rhynchobdellids) is present in at least 2 of 3 species examined, corroborating the notion of a single origin of blood feeding in the ancestral leech.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark E Siddall
- Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, and Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, New York 10024
| | - Mercer R Brugler
- Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, and Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, New York 10024
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Amorim AMXP, de Oliveira UC, Faria F, Pasqualoto KFM, Junqueira-de-Azevedo IDLM, Chudzinski-Tavassi AM. Transcripts involved in hemostasis: Exploring salivary complexes from Haementeria vizottoi leeches through transcriptomics, phylogenetic studies and structural features. Toxicon 2015; 106:20-9. [PMID: 26363292 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2015.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2015] [Revised: 08/27/2015] [Accepted: 09/07/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Throughout evolution, parasites have adapted in order to successfully intervene in the host defense, producing specific peptides and proteins. Interestingly, these peptides and proteins have been exploited as potential drug candidates against several diseases. Furthermore, biotechnology studies and cDNA libraries have remarkably contributed to identify potentially bioactive molecules. In this regard, herein, a cDNA library of salivary complexes from Haementeria vizottoi leeches was constructed, the transcriptome was characterized and a phylogenetic analysis was performed considering antistasin-like and antiplatelet-like proteins. Hundred twenty three transcripts were identified coding for putative proteins involved in animal feeding (representing about 10% of the expression level). These sequences showed similarities with myohemerythrins, carbonic anhydrases, anticoagulants, antimicrobials, proteases and protease inhibitors. The phylogenetic analysis, regarding antistasin-like and antiplatetlet-like proteins, revealed two main clades in the Rhynchobdellida leeches. As expected, the sequences from H. vizottoi have presented high similarities with those types of proteins. Thus, our findings could be helpful not only to identify new coagulation inhibitors, but also to better understand the biological composition of the salivary complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Fernanda Faria
- Laboratório de Bioquímica e Biofísica, Instituto Butantan, Av. Vital Brazil, 1500, CEP: 05.503-900, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | | | - Ana Marisa Chudzinski-Tavassi
- Laboratório de Bioquímica e Biofísica, Instituto Butantan, Av. Vital Brazil, 1500, CEP: 05.503-900, São Paulo, Brazil; Departamento de Bioquímica, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil.
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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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Zhang Y. Why do we study animal toxins? DONG WU XUE YAN JIU = ZOOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2015; 36:183-222. [PMID: 26228472 PMCID: PMC4790257 DOI: 10.13918/j.issn.2095-8137.2015.4.183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2015] [Accepted: 04/25/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Venom (toxins) is an important trait evolved along the evolutionary tree of animals. Our knowledges on venoms, such as their origins and loss, the biological relevance and the coevolutionary patterns with other organisms are greatly helpful in understanding many fundamental biological questions, i.e., the environmental adaptation and survival competition, the evolution shaped development and balance of venoms, and the sophisticated correlations among venom, immunity, body power, intelligence, their genetic basis, inherent association, as well as the cost-benefit and trade-offs of biological economy. Lethal animal envenomation can be found worldwide. However, from foe to friend, toxin studies have led lots of important discoveries and exciting avenues in deciphering and fighting human diseases, including the works awarded the Nobel Prize and lots of key clinic therapeutics. According to our survey, so far, only less than 0.1% of the toxins of the venomous animals in China have been explored. We emphasize on the similarities shared by venom and immune systems, as well as the studies of toxin knowledge-based physiological toxin-like proteins/peptides (TLPs). We propose the natural pairing hypothesis. Evolution links toxins with humans. Our mission is to find out the right natural pairings and interactions of our body elements with toxins, and with endogenous toxin-like molecules. Although, in nature, toxins may endanger human lives, but from a philosophical point of view, knowing them well is an effective way to better understand ourselves. So, this is why we study toxins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of The Chinese Academy of Sciences & Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming Yunnan 650223,
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Oyama E, Takahashi H. Purification and characterization of two platelet-aggregation inhibitors, named angustatin and H-toxin TA2, from the venom of Dendroaspis angusticeps. Toxicon 2015; 93:61-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2014.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2014] [Revised: 10/23/2014] [Accepted: 11/04/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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von Reumont BM, Campbell LI, Jenner RA. Quo vadis venomics? A roadmap to neglected venomous invertebrates. Toxins (Basel) 2014; 6:3488-551. [PMID: 25533518 PMCID: PMC4280546 DOI: 10.3390/toxins6123488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2014] [Revised: 11/21/2014] [Accepted: 12/02/2014] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Venomics research is being revolutionized by the increased use of sensitive -omics techniques to identify venom toxins and their transcripts in both well studied and neglected venomous taxa. The study of neglected venomous taxa is necessary both for understanding the full diversity of venom systems that have evolved in the animal kingdom, and to robustly answer fundamental questions about the biology and evolution of venoms without the distorting effect that can result from the current bias introduced by some heavily studied taxa. In this review we draw the outlines of a roadmap into the diversity of poorly studied and understood venomous and putatively venomous invertebrates, which together represent tens of thousands of unique venoms. The main groups we discuss are crustaceans, flies, centipedes, non-spider and non-scorpion arachnids, annelids, molluscs, platyhelminths, nemerteans, and echinoderms. We review what is known about the morphology of the venom systems in these groups, the composition of their venoms, and the bioactivities of the venoms to provide researchers with an entry into a large and scattered literature. We conclude with a short discussion of some important methodological aspects that have come to light with the recent use of new -omics techniques in the study of venoms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lahcen I Campbell
- Department of Life Sciences, the Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, SW7 5BD London, UK.
| | - Ronald A Jenner
- Department of Life Sciences, the Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, SW7 5BD London, UK.
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von Reumont BM, Campbell LI, Richter S, Hering L, Sykes D, Hetmank J, Jenner RA, Bleidorn C. A Polychaete's powerful punch: venom gland transcriptomics of Glycera reveals a complex cocktail of toxin homologs. Genome Biol Evol 2014; 6:2406-23. [PMID: 25193302 PMCID: PMC4202326 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evu190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Glycerids are marine annelids commonly known as bloodworms. Bloodworms have an eversible proboscis adorned with jaws connected to venom glands. Bloodworms prey on invertebrates, and it is known that the venom glands produce compounds that can induce toxic effects in animals. Yet, none of these putative toxins has been characterized on a molecular basis. Here we present the transcriptomic profiles of the venom glands of three species of bloodworm, Glycera dibranchiata, Glycera fallax and Glycera tridactyla, as well as the body tissue of G. tridactyla. The venom glands express a complex mixture of transcripts coding for putative toxin precursors. These transcripts represent 20 known toxin classes that have been convergently recruited into animal venoms, as well as transcripts potentially coding for Glycera-specific toxins. The toxins represent five functional categories: Pore-forming and membrane-disrupting toxins, neurotoxins, protease inhibitors, other enzymes, and CAP domain toxins. Many of the transcripts coding for putative Glycera toxins belong to classes that have been widely recruited into venoms, but some are homologs of toxins previously only known from the venoms of scorpaeniform fish and monotremes (stonustoxin-like toxin), turrid gastropods (turripeptide-like peptides), and sea anemones (gigantoxin I-like neurotoxin). This complex mixture of toxin homologs suggests that bloodworms employ venom while predating on macroscopic prey, casting doubt on the previously widespread opinion that G. dibranchiata is a detritivore. Our results further show that researchers should be aware that different assembly methods, as well as different methods of homology prediction, can influence the transcriptomic profiling of venom glands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Björn M von Reumont
- Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom
| | - Lahcen I Campbell
- Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sandy Richter
- Molecular Evolution and Systematics of Animals, Institute of Biology, University of Leipzig, Germany
| | - Lars Hering
- Animal Evolution & Development, Institute of Biology, University of Leipzig, Germany
| | - Dan Sykes
- Imaging and Analysis Centre, The Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jörg Hetmank
- Molecular Evolution and Systematics of Animals, Institute of Biology, University of Leipzig, Germany
| | - Ronald A Jenner
- Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom
| | - Christoph Bleidorn
- Molecular Evolution and Systematics of Animals, Institute of Biology, University of Leipzig, Germany German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
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May salivary gland secretory proteins from hematophagous leeches (Hirudo verbana) reach pharmacologically relevant concentrations in the vertebrate host? PLoS One 2013; 8:e73809. [PMID: 24058492 PMCID: PMC3776796 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0073809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2013] [Accepted: 07/23/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Saliva of hematophagous leeches (Hirudo sp.) contains bioactive proteins which allow the leech proper feeding and storage of ingested blood, but may also exert effects in the host. Leech therapy is used to treat many different ailments in humans, although only a small fraction of salivary proteins are characterized yet. Moreover, we do not know whether complete transfer of salivary proteins stored in the unicellular salivary glands in a leech to the host during feeding may generate concentrations that are sufficiently high to affect physiological processes in the host. Our 3D reconstruction of a portion of internal leech tissue from histological sections revealed that one leech contains approx. 37,000 salivary gland cells. Using tissue slices from pig liver and mouse skeletal muscle for reference, we obtained data for protein densities in leech salivary gland cells. As individual salivary cells are voluminous (67,000 µm3) and the stored proteins are densely packed (approx. 500 µg/mm3), we extrapolated that a single leech may contain up to 1.2 mg of salivary proteins. Analyzing protein extracts of unfed or fed leeches by 2D electrophoresis, we calculated the relative molar amounts of individual salivary proteins in the mass range of 17–60 kDa which may be released from a single leech during feeding. Distribution of these salivary proteins in the host (assumed plasma volume of 5 l) may result in concentrations of individual compounds between 3 and 236 pmol/l. Such concentrations seem sufficiently high to exert biochemical interactions with target molecules in the host.
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Kvist S, Min GS, Siddall ME. Diversity and selective pressures of anticoagulants in three medicinal leeches (Hirudinida: Hirudinidae, Macrobdellidae). Ecol Evol 2013; 3:918-33. [PMID: 23610634 PMCID: PMC3631404 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2012] [Revised: 12/13/2012] [Accepted: 12/18/2012] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Although medicinal leeches have long been used as treatment for various ailments because of their potent anticoagulation factors, neither the full diversity of salivary components that inhibit coagulation, nor the evolutionary selection acting on them has been thoroughly investigated. Here, we constructed expressed sequence tag libraries from salivary glands of two species of medicinal hirudinoid leeches, Hirudo verbana and Aliolimnatis fenestrata, and identified anticoagulant-orthologs through BLASTx searches. The data set then was augmented by the addition of a previously constructed EST library from the macrobdelloid leech Macrobdella decora. The identified orthologs then were compared and contrasted with well-characterized anticoagulants from a variety of leeches with different feeding habits, including non-sanguivorous species. Moreover, four different statistical methods for predicting signatures of positive and negative evolutionary pressures were used for 10 rounds each to assess the level and type of selection acting on the molecules as a whole and on specific sites. In total, sequences showing putative BLASTx-orthology with five and three anticoagulant-families were recovered in the A. fenestrata and H. verbana EST libraries respectively. Selection pressure analyses predicted high levels of purifying selection across the anticoagulant diversity, although a few isolated sites showed signatures of positive selection. This study represents a first attempt at mapping the anticoagulant repertoires in a comparative fashion across several leech families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Kvist
- Richard Gilder Graduate School, American Museum of Natural History Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY 10024, USA
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Assumpcao TCF, Ribeiro JMC, Francischetti IMB. Disintegrins from hematophagous sources. Toxins (Basel) 2012; 4:296-322. [PMID: 22778902 PMCID: PMC3386632 DOI: 10.3390/toxins4050296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2012] [Revised: 04/12/2012] [Accepted: 04/13/2012] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Bloodsucking arthropods are a rich source of salivary molecules (sialogenins) which inhibit platelet aggregation, neutrophil function and angiogenesis. Here we review the literature on salivary disintegrins and their targets. Disintegrins were first discovered in snake venoms, and were instrumental in our understanding of integrin function and also for the development of anti-thrombotic drugs. In hematophagous animals, most disintegrins described so far have been discovered in the salivary gland of ticks and leeches. A limited number have also been found in hookworms and horseflies, and none identified in mosquitoes or sand flies. The vast majority of salivary disintegrins reported display a RGD motif and were described as platelet aggregation inhibitors, and few others as negative modulator of neutrophil or endothelial cell functions. This notably low number of reported disintegrins is certainly an underestimation of the actual complexity of this family of proteins in hematophagous secretions. Therefore an algorithm was created in order to identify the tripeptide motifs RGD, KGD, VGD, MLD, KTS, RTS, WGD, or RED (flanked by cysteines) in sialogenins deposited in GenBank database. The search included sequences from various blood-sucking animals such as ticks (e.g., Ixodes sp., Argas sp., Rhipicephalus sp., Amblyommasp.), tabanids (e.g., Tabanus sp.), bugs (e.g., Triatoma sp., Rhodnius prolixus), mosquitoes (e.g., Anopheles sp., Aedes sp., Culex sp.), sand flies (e.g., Lutzomyia sp., Phlebotomus sp.), leeches (e.g., Macrobdella sp., Placobdella sp.) and worms (e.g., Ancylostoma sp.). This approach allowed the identification of a remarkably high number of novel putative sialogenins with tripeptide motifs typical of disintegrins (>450 sequences) whose biological activity remains to be verified. This database is accessible online as a hyperlinked worksheet and displays biochemical, taxonomic, and gene ontology aspects for each putative disintegrin. It is also freely available for download (right click with the mouse) at links http://exon.niaid.nih.gov/transcriptome/RGD/RGD-Peps-WEB.xlsx (web version) and http://exon.niaid.nih.gov/transcriptome/RGD/RGD-sialogenins.zip (stand alone version).
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Affiliation(s)
| | - José M. C. Ribeiro
- Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed; (T.C.F.A.); (J.M.C.R.); (I.M.B.F.)
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Hildebrandt JP, Lemke S. Small bite, large impact–saliva and salivary molecules in the medicinal leech, Hirudo medicinalis. Naturwissenschaften 2011; 98:995-1008. [DOI: 10.1007/s00114-011-0859-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2011] [Revised: 10/10/2011] [Accepted: 10/14/2011] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
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Castagnola M, Cabras T, Vitali A, Sanna MT, Messana I. Biotechnological implications of the salivary proteome. Trends Biotechnol 2011; 29:409-18. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2011.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2011] [Revised: 03/31/2011] [Accepted: 04/08/2011] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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Abstract
The evolutionary history of leeches is employed as a general framework for understanding more than merely the systematics of this charismatic group of annelid worms, and serves as a basis for understanding blood-feeding related correlates ranging from the specifics of gut-associated bacterial symbionts to salivary anticoagulant peptides. A variety of medicinal leech families were examined for intraluminal crop bacterial symbionts. Species of Aeromonas and Bacteroidetes were characterized with DNA gyrase B and 16S rDNA. Bacteroidetes isolates were found to be much more phylogenetically diverse and suggested stronger evidence of phylogenetic correlation than the gammaproteobacteria. Patterns that look like co-speciation with limited taxon sampling do not in the full context of phylogeny. Bioactive compounds that are expressed as gene products, like those in leech salivary glands, have 'passed the test' of evolutionary selection. We produced and bioinformatically mined salivary gland EST libraries across medicinal leech lineages to experimentally and statistically evaluate whether evolutionary selection on peptides can identify structure-function activities of known therapeutically relevant bioactive compounds like antithrombin, hirudin and antistasin. The combined information content of a well corroborated leech phylogeny and broad taxonomic coverage of expressed proteins leads to a rich understanding of evolution and function in leech history.
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