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Abstract
Activities of nineteen hydrolases were measured in the digestive systems of predatory and blood-feeding true leeches (Hirudinida) and their closest relatives, Branchiobdellida and Acanthobdellida. Hydrolase activities were analyzed in different parts of the digestive systems: the species-specific anterior part, i.e. jaws, pharynx or proboscis, crop and intestine. The results obtained suggest that food digestion and possible absorption predominate in the intestine of most of the studied Hirudinida and A. peledina, whereas in B. astaci these processes take place in the anterior part of the digestive system and crop. In Erpobdellidae and Piscicola respirans, the activity of acid and alkaline phosphatases, N-acetyl-β-glucosaminidase, leucine and valine arylamidases, and α-fucosidase was also detected in the anterior part of the digestive system. We also detected differences in enzyme occurrence between the studied species, which are probably connected with their different food preferences. Moreover, the presence of the whole spectrum of enzymes in predatory leeches and the absence of trypsin and α-chymotrypsin activity in the crop of all the leeches support the hypothesis that the leech ancestor was a blood-feeder. Our study showed that “Rhynchobdellida” constitute a paraphyletic group which confirms the previous results based on molecular phylogenetics, while Arhynchobdellida appears to be a non-monophyletic group which is not consistent with previous molecular results.
Highlights
IntroductionThe digestive system of ectoparasitic Clitellata, i.e. Branchiobdellida, Acanthobdellida and Hirudinida, to other invertebrates is composed of three distinct regions: the foregut, midgut and hindgut (Fernández et al 1992)
Research on enzymes can have alternative charac ter; either enzymes are studied to understand the physiological abilities of an organism, or it can be a perspective challenge for taxonomists as a method of description of new species (Ayala & Powell 1972).The digestive system of ectoparasitic Clitellata, i.e. Branchiobdellida, Acanthobdellida and Hirudinida, to other invertebrates is composed of three distinct regions: the foregut, midgut and hindgut (Fernández et al 1992)
The highest activity in the digestive system of this leech was exhibited by both analyzed phospha tases and N-acetyl-β-glucosamidase
Summary
The digestive system of ectoparasitic Clitellata, i.e. Branchiobdellida, Acanthobdellida and Hirudinida, to other invertebrates is composed of three distinct regions: the foregut, midgut and hindgut (Fernández et al 1992). The hindgut is a short tube-shaped structure composed of the rectum and anus. They are lined with simple epithelium (Jennings & Gelder 1979; Rost-Roszkowska et al.2012). The precise ultrastructure of the digestive cells in the midgut of Hirudinida has been analyzed only in five species: Hirudo medicinalis (Hirudinidae), Haementeria depressa, Helobdella triserialis and Theromyzon rude (Glossiphoniidae) as well as Piscicola geometra (Piscicolidae) (Hammersen & Pokahr 1972a, 1972b; Fernández et al 1992; Rost-Roszkowska et al.2012, 2015). Apart from general morphological and functional descriptions
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