Draft Genome of the Asian Buffalo Leech
Research article published in Front Genet (2020)
Abstract
The Asian Buffalo leech, Hirudinaria manillensis, is an aquatic sanguivorous species distributed widely in Southeast Asia. H. manillensis has long been used clinically for bloodletting and other medical purposes. Recent studies have focused on artificial culturing, strain optimization, and the identification and development new drugs based on the anticoagulant effects of H. manillensis bites; however, data regarding its genome remain unclear. This study aimed to determine the genome sequence of an adult Asian Buffalo leech. We generated a draft assembly of 151.8 Mb and a N50 scaffold of 2.28 Mb. Predictions indicated that the assembled genome contained 21,005 protein-coding genes. Up to 17,865 genes were annotated in multiple databases including Gene Ontology. Sixteen anticoagulant proteins with a Hirudin or Antistasin domain were identified. This study is the first to report the whole-genome sequence of the Asian Buffalo leech, an important sanguivorous leech of clinical significance. The quality of the assembly is comparable to those of other annelids. These data will help further the current understanding of the biological mechanisms and genetic characteristics of leeches and serve as a valuable resource for future studies.
Abstract sourced from PubMed (NCBI) for the cited record. See the original publication for the authoritative version.
Resumen
The Asian Buffalo leech,, is an aquatic sanguivorous species distributed widely in Southeast Asia.has long been used clinically for bloodletting and other medical purposes.
Por qué esto importa para la hirudoterapia
This study reports the first whole-genome draft assembly of the Asian Buffalo leech (Hirudinaria manillensis), a clinically significant sanguivorous species long used for bloodletting, generating a 151.8 Mb assembly with 21,005 predicted protein-coding genes and identifying 16 anticoagulant proteins bearing Hirudin or Antistasin domains. This genome resource is directly relevant to ASH's domain, as it provides a foundational genetic map of a therapeutically important leech species and catalogs genes encoding known anticoagulant secretome proteins that could inform future studies on leech biology, anticoagulant diversity, and strain optimization. The caveat is that this is a descriptive genome assembly study; no functional experiments, protein characterization, or therapeutic applications are presented, and clinical relevance remains to be explored in future work.
Citación
Contexto clínico relacionado
Explore cómo esta investigación se conecta con la práctica clínica
Añadido a la biblioteca ASH: May 27, 2026 · Última actualización del sitio: June 18, 2026