Leech Biology and Applications

Structure-resolved fold annotation of the medicinal-leech salivary-EV cargo: a Ly-6/uPAR three-finger scaffold and a structurally dark fraction

The paper uses structure prediction to annotate the fold of uncharacterized proteins in medicinal leech salivary EVs, identifying one as a Ly-6/uPAR three-finger fold and leaving others unresolved.

Chromosome-level genome assembly and transcriptome resource for the medicinal leech Hirudo verbana

The paper presents a chromosome-level genome assembly and transcriptome resource for the medicinal leech Hirudo verbana using PacBio and Hi-C data.

Leech Speciation and Detection of Hirudin Gene among the Leech Population in Asejire Oyo State, Nigeria

This study identifies a unique leech species in Nigeria and confirms the presence of the Hirudin gene, suggesting potential for leech therapy.

Comparative genomics of three non-hematophagous leeches (Whitmania spp.): focusing on antithrombotic genes

This study compares the genomes and antithrombotic genes of three non-hematophagous leeches, revealing significant differences in gene families and expression profiles.

A Draft Reference Genome for Hirudo verbana, the Medicinal Leech

The paper presents the first draft genome assembly for Hirudo verbana, providing a foundation for future genomic studies and comparative analyses.

Draft genome sequences of Hirudo medicinalis and salivary transcriptome of three closely related medicinal leeches

The paper annotates the Hirudo medicinalis genome and analyzes salivary transcriptomes of three leech species to identify salivary cell-specific genes and update knowledge on blood-sucking mechanisms.