Innate immunity
Was innate immunity already complex in early animals?
Open access · cc by · source: Europe PMC
Anthozoan cnidarians retain much ancestral metazoan immune/signaling complexity; flies and worms lost many components.
How this study connects
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Was innate immunity already complex in early animals?
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What is the innate immune system’s role?
innate immune system is the first line of defense against pathogens, and in non-chordates is assumed to be the sole means by which any non-self cells are detected and either killed or contained [].
Which cnidarians are highlighted?
cnidarians Acropora millepora and Nematostella vectensis [,] and the planarian Dugesia japonica [].
Key findings
Morphologically simple cnidarians preserve much ancestral complexity (e.g., Wnt/immune-related pathways); Drosophila/C. elegans show extensive gene loss; understanding cnidarian immunity also matters for coral decline.
Methodology
Surveyed innate-immunity gene families in cnidarian genomes/ESTs (Acropora, Nematostella) versus bilaterian models.
Limitations
Does not functionally prove every predicted receptor’s ligand in vivo.
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