Protochordate amphioxus is an emerging model organism for comparative immunology  

作　　者：Shicui Zhang Yujun Liang Guangdong Ji Zhimeng Zhuang 

机构地区：[1]Department of Marine Biology, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China [2]Yellow Sea Fishery Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Science, Qingdao 266071, China

出　　处：《Progress in Natural Science:Materials International》2009年第8期923-929,共7页自然科学进展·国际材料（英文版）

基　　金：supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 30470203,2006CB101805, and 2008AA09Z411) ;Ministry of Sci-ence and Technology of China.

摘　　要：Protochordate amphioxus is an extant invertebrate regarded quite recently as a basal chordate. It has a vertebrate-like body plan including a circulation system with an organization similar to that of vertebrates. However, amphioxus is less complex than vertebrates for having a genome uncomplicated by extensive genomic duplication, and lacking lymphoid organs and free circulating blood cells. Recent studies on immunity have demonstrated the presence in amphioxus of both the constituent elements of key molecules involved in adaptive immunity such as proto-major histocompatibility complex （proto-MHC）, V region-containing chitin-binding protein （VCBP） and V and C domain-bearing protein （VCP）, and the complement system operating via the alternative and lectin pathways resembling those seen in vertebrates. In addition, the acute phase response profile in amphioxus has been shown to be similar to that observed in vertebrates. These findings together with the relative structural and genomic simplicity make amphioxus an ideal organism for gaining insights into the origin and evolution of the vertebrate immune system, especially adaptive immunity, and the composition and mech- anisms of the vertebrate innate immunity. 2009 National Natural Science Foundation of China and Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier Limited and Science in China Press. All rights reserved.Protochordate amphioxus is an extant invertebrate regarded quite recently as a basal chordate. It has a vertebrate-like body plan including a circulation system with an organization similar to that of vertebrates. However, amphioxus is less complex than vertebrates for having a genome uncomplicated by extensive genomic duplication, and lacking lymphoid organs and free circulating blood cells. Recent studies on immunity have demonstrated the presence in amphioxus of both the constituent elements of key molecules involved in adaptive immunity such as proto-major histocompatibility complex (proto-MHC), V region-containing chitin-binding protein (VCBP) and V and C domain-bearing protein (VCP), and the complement system operating via the alternative and lectin pathways resembling those seen in vertebrates. In addition, the acute phase response profile in amphioxus has been shown to be similar to that observed in vertebrates. These findings together with the relative structural and genomic simplicity make amphioxus an ideal organism for gaining insights into the origin and evolution of the vertebrate immune system, especially adaptive immunity, and the composition and mech- anisms of the vertebrate innate immunity.

关 键 词：AMPHIOXUS BRANCHIOSTOMA IMMUNITY EVOLUTION 

分 类 号：Q959.287[生物学—动物学] S852.4[农业科学—基础兽医学]