Speculations on the evolution of humoral adaptive immunity. Issue 6 (25th March 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Horton, Miles B; Hawkins, Edwin D; Heinzel, Susanne; Hodgkin, Philip D
• Is Part Of: Immunology and cell biology. Volume 98:Issue 6(2020)
• Page Start: 439
• Page End: 448
• Publication Date: 2020-03-25
• Subjects: B cells -- cell fate -- cell signaling -- comparative immunology -- evolutionary immunology -- humoral immunity -- proliferation; Immunology -- Periodicals; Cytology -- Periodicals; 616.079
• DOI: 10.1111/imcb.12323
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0818-9641

Abstract

Abstract: The protection of a multicellular organism from infection, at both cell and humoral levels, has been a tremendous driver of gene selection and cellular response strategies. Here we focus on a critical event in the development of humoral immunity: The transition from principally innate responses to a system of adaptive cell selection, with all the attendant mechanical problems that must be solved in order for it to work effectively. Here we review recent advances, but our major goal is to highlight that the development of adaptive immunity resulted from the adoption, reuse and repurposing of an ancient, autonomous cellular program that combines and exploits three titratable cellular fate timers. We illustrate how this common cell machinery recurs and appears throughout biology, and has been essential for the evolution of complex organisms, at many levels of scale. Abstract : We argue that the development of adaptive immunity resulted from the adoption, reuse and repurposing of an ancient, autonomous cellular program. Signature features of this ancient program can be seen exploited in many arms of the immune response.