title: Review of Dscam-mediated immunity in shrimp and other arthropods.
abstract: Although true adaptive immunity is only found in vertebrates, there is increasing evidence that shrimp and other arthropods exhibit immune specificity and immune memory. The invertebrate immune response is now called "innate immunity with specificity" or "immune priming", and its underlying mechanisms are still unclear. However, while vertebrate antibodies have no invertebrate homolog, the Down syndrome cell adhesion molecule (Dscam), which is a hypervariable protein created by alternative splicing, can function as a pathogen-specific recognizing molecule in arthropods. Here we review our current understanding of the Dscam-mediated immune responses in arthropods, especially in shrimp, and show that Dscam may be involved in both general innate immunity and the pathogen-specific immune response.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biotechnology, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Tze Hann
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biotechnology, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yi-An
authors.initials: YA
authors.lastname: Chiang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biotechnology, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ying-Chun
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Yeh
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biotechnology, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan. Electronic address: wanghc@mail.ncku.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Han-Ching
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D060829:Arthropod Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000276:immunology; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000502:physiology*; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D033561:Penaeidae / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000469:parasitology; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000502:physiology; D046848:White spot syndrome virus 1 / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D060829:Arthropod Proteins; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D020033:Protein Isoforms
keywords: Down syndrome cell adhesion molecule (Dscam); Dscam-mediated immune responses; shrimp