title: The evolution of acquired immunity to parasites.
abstract: Evolutionary pressures exerted by parasites on the immune system, and vice versa, are surveyed from a speculative viewpoint. New information is presented about the possible channelling of suppression by MHC Class II genes in the mouse, where a novel pattern of dominant unresponsiveness mediated by H-2Ab is described. In addition, the hypothesis is advanced that phosphatidyl-inositol anchorage on the surface of parasites may represent a novel evasion mechanism, in which the spread of the immune response by epitope linkage is inhibited by host phospholipase.
authors.affiliation: Imperial Cancer Research Fund, University College London.
authors.forename: N A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Mitchison
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D005075:Biological Evolution; D005805:Genes, MHC Class I; D005802:Genes, MHC Class II; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D007110:Immunity, Active; D010271:Parasites / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D010272:Parasitic Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D010716:Phosphatidylinositols / Q000378:metabolism; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D010716:Phosphatidylinositols