Genomic analysis of the immune gene repertoire of amphioxus reveals extraordinary innate complexity and diversity

• Published in: Genome Research Vol. 18; no. 7; pp. 1112 - 1126
• Main Authors: Huang, Shengfeng, Yuan, Shaochun, Guo, Lei, Yu, Yanhong, Li, Jun, Wu, Tao, Liu, Tong, Yang, Manyi, Wu, Kui, Liu, Huiling, Ge, Jin, Yu, Yingcai, Huang, Huiqing, Dong, Meiling, Yu, Cuiling, Chen, Shangwu, Xu, Anlong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press 01.07.2008
• Subjects: Animals; Branchiostoma floridae; Branchiostoma lanceolatum; Chordata; Chordata, Nonvertebrate - embryology; Chordata, Nonvertebrate - genetics; Chordata, Nonvertebrate - immunology; Drosophila melanogaster; Echinoidea; Genetic Variation - immunology; Genome - immunology; Humans; Immunity, Innate - genetics; Immunologic Factors - genetics; Lampreys; Letter; Mice; Molecular Sequence Data; Receptors, Immunologic - genetics; Sea Urchins; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Species Specificity; Zebrafish

It has been speculated that before vertebrates evolved somatic diversity-based adaptive immunity, the germline-encoded diversity of innate immunity may have been more developed. Amphioxus occupies the basal position of the chordate phylum and hence is an important reference to the evolution of verte...