Supporting data for "Molecular mechanisms underlying hematophagia revealed by comparative analyses of leech genomes"

Leeches have been used in traditional Chinese medicine since pre-historic times to treat a spectrum of ailments, but very little is known about their physiological, genetic, and evolutionary characteristics.<br> We sequenced and assembled chromosome-level genomes of three leech species (bloodsucking <i>Hirudo nipponia</i> and <i>Hirudinaria manillensis</i> and non-bloodsucking <i>Whitmania pigra</i>). The dynamic population histories and genome-wide expression patterns of the two bloodsucking leech species were found to be similar. A combined analysis of the genomic and transcriptional data revealed that the bloodsucking leeches have a presumably enhanced auditory sense for prey location in relatively deep fresh water. The copy number of genes related to anticoagulation, analgesia, and anti-inflammation increased in the bloodsucking leeches, and their gene expressions responded dynamically to the bloodsucking process. Furthermore, the expanded <i>FBN1</i> gene family may help in rapid body swelling of leeches after bloodsucking, and the expanded <i>GLB3</i> gene family may be associated with long-term storage of prey blood in a leechs body.<br> The high-quality reference genomes and comprehensive datasets obtained in this study may facilitate innovations in the artificial culture and strain optimization of leeches.