Population Genetics of the Asian Buffalo Leech (<i>Hirudinaria manillensis</i>) in Southern China Based on Mitochondrial Protein-Coding Genes.

ABSTRACT: Leeches hold significant medical and pharmaceutical value for antithrombotic treatments, yet their genetic diversity patterns remain poorly understood. We performed population genetic analyses on seven Hirudinaria manillensis populations from southern China using mitochondrial protein-coding genes (MitPCGs). Complete sequences of all 13 MitPCGs were obtained from 74 individuals. Haplotype diversity exhibited a logarithmic relationship with the gene length (R² = 0.858, p < 0.001), while nucleotide diversity showed a near-perfect alternating low-high pattern (Z = 2.938, p = 0.003). Concatenated sequence analyses indicated high haplotype diversity (>0.5) and low nucleotide diversity (<0.005) across all populations, suggesting a historical bottlene

SUBMITTER: Lin G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12383380 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature