Hirudin and decorsins of the North American medicinal leech: gene structure reveals homology to hirudins and hirudin-like factors of Eurasian medicinal leeches

Blood-sucking leeches, some of which are referred to as medicinal leeches, have caught attention not only because of their medical purposes, but also as study organisms to conduct research within fields as diverse as neurobiology, osmoregulation, ecology, and phylogeny. Of particular interest is the question whether hemophagy in leeches is of single origin or evolved independently several times. A key component in the saliva of hematophagous leeches is hirudin, a strong natural inhibitor of thrombin and hence the blood coagulation cascade. Multiple isoforms of hirudin have been described within and among several leech species and genera, often based on sequence data only. The identification of hirudin-like factors (HLFs) illustrated the necessity to underpin such predictions by functional tests. We overexpressed and purified the hirudin of the North American medicinal leech, Macrobdella decora, and proved its thrombin-inhibiting activity. In addition, analysis of the gene structure of both hirudin and some of the decorsins of M. decora clearly indicated conserved exon and intron positions when compared to genes of hirudins and HLFs of Eurasian medicinal leeches. Our data provide evidence for the incorporation of decorsins into the hirudin superfamily and support the concept of a single origin of blood feeding in jawed leeches.

Abstract sourced from PubMed (NCBI) for the cited record. See the original publication for the authoritative version.

Functional characterization of North American medicinal-leech hirudin demonstrating thrombin-inhibition activity. Gene structure of hirudin and decorsins reveals conserved exon-intron positions with Eurasian leeches, supporting single-origin hematophagy.

Leech-derived molecules this paper discusses, each with a full profile in the ASH compound registry:

Erfahren Sie, wie diese Forschung mit der klinischen Praxis verknüpft ist

More peer-reviewed studies in Genomik & Proteomik.

• 434 Salivary Proteins — Integrated Proteomics of Hirudo medicinalis — Liu et al. (2019)
• Medicinal Leech Genome Assembly — Anticoagulant Gene Catalog — Kvist et al. (2020)
• Effects of hirudotherapy on liver functions, lipid profile, and insulin sensitivity in rats with metabolic syndrome — Bilden A et al. (2026)
• Efficacy and Safety of Hirudotherapy for Improving Sperm Quality Parameters in Male Infertility: A Randomized Controlled Trial — Abtahi-Forooshani M et al. (2026)
• Hirudotherapy in Wound Healing — Nair H et al. (2022)
• [Medicinal leeches and hirudotherapy] — Gödekmerdan A et al. (2011)
• [Cutaneous pseudolymphoma after hirudotherapy : Case report and review] — Hanner S et al. (2022)
• HIRUDOTHERAPY IN PRESBYACUZIS PRAECOX IN CLEAN-UP WORKERS AFTER THE CHORNOBYL ACCIDENT DURING THE POST-CATASTROPHE YEARS — Zabolotnyi D, Mishchanchuk N (2019)
• Hirudotherapy (medicinal leeches) for treatment of upper airway obstruction in a dog — Trenholme H, Masseau I, Reinero C (2021)
• Leech therapy — Yantis M, O'Toole K, Ring P (2009)

Browse all ASH-analysed research →