Hirudo medicinalis, Hirudo verbana, Hirudo orientalis salivary gland cells Transcriptome or Gene expression. Hirudo

Leeches are annelids and relatives of earthworms and polychaetes. Among annelids leeches are vast natural pharmacopoeias selected by evolution. The use of blood-sucking leeches for medical purposes in humans has been described already two thousand years ago. During feeding, leeches secrete a complex mixture of different biologically and pharmacologically active substances into the wound. Ingredients of leech saliva may suppress inflammation, reduce the intensity of pain, inhibit blood coagulation in the host and possess antimicrobial properties. Despite the broad focus of research on leech saliva, little has been done at the genomic and transcriptomic levels. The goal of this project is to produce, annotate, and analyze a high-quality salivary gland cells transcriptome for the different species of medicinal leeches: Hirudo medicinalis, H. verbana and H. orientalis.