title: Characterization of the digestive-tract microbiota of Hirudo orientalis, a european medicinal leech.
abstract: FDA-approved, postoperative use of leeches can lead to bacterial infections. In this study, we used culture-dependent and culture-independent approaches to characterize the digestive-tract microbiota of Hirudo orientalis. Surprisingly, two Aeromonas species, A. veronii and A. jandaei, were cultured. Uncultured Rikenella-like bacteria were most similar to isolates from Hirudo verbana.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA.
authors.forename: Alison S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Laufer
authors.forename: Mark E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Siddall
authors.forename: Joerg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Graf
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D005060:Europe; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000382:microbiology; D020459:Genes, rRNA; D007865:Leeches / Q000382:microbiology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S