Life is a huge compromise: is the complexity of the vertebrate immune-neuroendocrine system an advantage or the price to pay?
Recent advances in comparative immunology have established that invertebrates produce hypervariable molecules probably related to immunity, suggesting the possibility of raising a specific immune response. "Priming" and "tailoring" are terms now often associated with the invertebrate innate immunity. Comparative immunologists contributed to eliminate the idea of a static immune system in invertebrates, making necessary to re-consider the evolutive meaning of immunological memory of vertebrates. If the anticipatory immune system represents a maximally efficient immune system, why can it be observed only in vertebrates, especially in consideration that molecular hypervariability exists also in invertebrates? Using well-established theories concerning the evolution of the vertebrate immunity as theoretical basis we analyze from an Eco-immunology-based perspective why a memory-based immune system may have represented an evolutive advantage for jawed vertebrates. We hypothesize that for cold-blooded vertebrates memory represents a complimentary component that flanks the robust and fundamental innate immunity. Conversely, immunological memory has become indispensable and fully exploited in warm-blooded vertebrates, due to their stable inner environment and high metabolic rate, respectively.
Malagoli
Davide
D
Department of Animal Biology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy.
Ottaviani
Enzo
E
D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D007107:Immune System / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D007448:Invertebrates / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D009490:Neurosecretory Systems / Q000502:physiology*; D013045:Species Specificity; D014714:Vertebrates / Q000276:immunology* / Q000502:physiology*