Proteomic analysis methods for characterization of proteins from the salivary gland secretions of the medicinal leech during different seasons

Salivary gland secretion (SGS) of the medicinal leech Hirudo medicinalis in summer and winter was studied by proteomic analysis methods, and season-associated difference was found in the distribution of fractionated proteins with the same pattern of their positions. Differences were detected for proteins with molecular weights from 15 to 250 kD fractionated by two-dimensional SDS-PAGE and for 2-10- and 10-60-kD proteins analyzed by SELDI-MS. Thirty-two and 20 proteins were detected by MALDI-TOF-MS in the high-molecular-weight fraction of the summer and winter SGS, respectively, isolated from the corresponding two-dimensional electrophoregrams, and this was less than 20% of the total SGS protein. The N-terminal amino acid sequences were determined for 12 proteins. The peptide maps and N-terminal amino acid sequences of the proteins studied were identified, and no known proteins were revealed. These findings suggest a high content of newly revealed proteins in SGS of medicinal leech, and this correlates with multiple positive clinical effects of hirudotherapy realized through SGS, but the mechanisms of these effects remain unclear.

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

Seasonal proteomic comparison of Hirudo medicinalis salivary gland secretion identified 32 summer and 20 winter proteins by MALDI-TOF-MS, with high content of newly identified proteins.

Узнайте, как это исследование связано с клинической практикой

More peer-reviewed studies in Фармакология секрета слюнных желёз.

• Novel Leech Antimicrobial Peptides — Hirunipins — Kumar et al. (2025)
• 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)
• [Research progress in hirudin fusion protein--review] — Zhang C et al. (2007)
• A unique proteolytic fragment of human fibrinogen containing the A alpha COOH-terminal domain of the native molecule — Kirschbaum NE, Budzynski AZ (1990)
• Updates on Use and Monitoring of Direct Thrombin Inhibitors — Navaei A et al. (2026)
• Production and functional characteristics of a novel hirudin variant with better anticoagulant activities than bivalirudin — Ge P et al. (2025)
• Traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of diabetic kidney disease: the mechanisms of signaling pathways regulations — Li W et al. (2026)
• Prostaglandin E1 is an efficient molecular tool for forest leech blood sucking — Zheng F et al. (2021)

Browse all ASH-analysed research →