We continue the Microbial Advent Calendar with Leeches, and of course, they have bacteria to help them digest blood! Before continuing any further we have to take a mandatory Wes Anderson’s Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou stop. Please enjoy the gif on your right.<\/p>\n
Now we can proceed. Like many other monophagous (pompous way to say that they only eat one thing) animals, leeches depend on symbionts to supplement their diet with nutrients they can’t suck out of their host.<\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_link_target=”_self” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1\/2″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_raw_html]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[\/vc_raw_html][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_link_target=”_self” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column_text]\n
Leeches have a specialized organ associated with the esophagus called the\u00a0mycetomes\u00a0(so far no relations to any\u00a0mycete\u00a0of any kind). These organs vary greatly in size, shape, and number, depending on the host species of leech. The associated symbionts also vary, some species are associated with Alphaproteobacteria while others are associated with different species of Gammaproteobacteria or Alteromonadales.<\/p>\n
Many papers have described the organs and associated bacteria. These two papers, here<\/a> and here<\/a>, give an idea of what the mycetome organ looks like and the different types of bacteria associated with leeches. On the more exotic side, this paper<\/a> describes the association between Psychromonas<\/em> bacteria and deep sea leeches!<\/p>\n