Was the evolutionary road towards adaptive immunity paved with endothelium

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dc.contributor.authorVan Niekerk, Gustaven_ZA
dc.contributor.authorDavis, Tanjaen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorEngelbrecht, Anna-Marten_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2015-09-15T06:52:33Z
dc.date.available2015-09-15T06:52:33Z
dc.date.issued2015-09-04
dc.descriptionCITATION: Van Niekerk, G., Davis, T., & Engelbrecht, A-M. 2015. Was the evolutionary road towards adaptive immunity paved with endothelium?. Biology Direct, 10:47, doi:10.1186/s13062-015-0079-0.en_ZA
dc.descriptionThe original publication is available at http://www.biologydirect.com/content/10/1/47en_ZA
dc.descriptionPublication of this article was funded by the Stellenbosch University Open Access Fund.
dc.description.abstractBackground: The characterization of a completely novel adaptive immune system (AIS) in jawless vertebrates (hagfish and lampreys) presents an excellent opportunity for exploring similarities and differences in design principles. It also highlights a somewhat neglected question: Why did vertebrates, representing only 5 % of all animals, evolve a system as complex as an AIS twice, whereas invertebrates failed to do so? A number of theories have been presented in answer to this question. However, these theories either fail to explain why invertebrates would not similarly develop an AIS and are confounded by issues of causality, or have been challenged by more recent findings. Presentation of the hypothesis: Instead of identifying a selective pressure that would drive the development of an AIS, we hypothesise that invertebrates failed to develop an AIS because of the evolutionary constraints imposed by these animals’ physiological context. In particular, we argue that a number of vascular innovations in vertebrates allowed the effective implementation of an AIS. A lower blood volume allowed for a higher antibody titer (i.e., less ‘diluted’ antibody concentration), rendering these immune effectors more cost-effective. In addition, both a high circulatory velocity and the ability of endothelium to coordinate immune cell trafficking promote ‘epitope sampling’. Collectively, these innovations allowed the effective implementation of AIS in vertebrates. Testing the hypothesis: The hypothesis posits that a number of innovations to the vascular system provided the release from constraints which allowed the implementation of an AIS. However, this hypothesis would be refuted by phylogenetic analysis demonstrating that the AIS preceded these vascular innovations. The hypothesis also suggests that vascular performance would have an impact on the efficacy of an AIS, thus predicting a correlation between the vascular parameters of a species and its relative investment in AIS. The contribution of certain vascular innovations in augmenting immune functionality of an AIS can be tested by modelling the effect of different vascular parameters on AIS efficacy. Implications of the hypothesis: The hypothesis not only explains the immunological dimorphism between vertebrates and invertebrates but also brings to attention the fact that immunity is dependent on more than just an immune system.en_ZA
dc.description.versionPublishers' Versionen_ZA
dc.format.extent7 pagesen_ZA
dc.identifier.citationVan Niekerk, G., Davis, T., & Engelbrecht, A-M. 2015. Was the evolutionary road towards adaptive immunity paved with endothelium?. Biology Direct, 10:47, doi:10.1186/s13062-015-0079-0.en_ZA
dc.identifier.issn1745-6150 (online)
dc.identifier.issn1745-6150 (print)
dc.identifier.otherdoi:10.1186/s13062-015-0079-0
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/97500
dc.language.isoen_ZAen_ZA
dc.publisherBioMed Centralen_ZA
dc.rights.holderAuthors retain copyrighten_ZA
dc.subjectAdaptive immune system, Evolutionary constraint, Endothelium, Inflammation, Vertebrate, Invertebrateen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshAdaptive immune systemen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshLymphocytes -- Receptors en_ZA
dc.subject.lcshEndotheliumen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshEvolutionary constrainten_ZA
dc.subject.lcshVertebrates -- Phylogeny -- Molecular aspectsen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshInvertebrates -- Phylogeny -- Molecular aspectsen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshVascular endothelium -- Effect of stress onen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshVertebratesen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshInvertebratesen_ZA
dc.titleWas the evolutionary road towards adaptive immunity paved with endotheliumen_ZA
dc.typeArticleen_ZA
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