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The ancestral complement system in sea urchins.

L C Smith1, L A Clow, D P Terwilliger

  • 1The Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA. csmith@gwu.edu

Immunological Reviews
|June 21, 2001
PubMed
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The sea urchin complement system, homologous to vertebrate pathways, uses SpC3 and SpBf for pathogen defense via opsonization. This ancient system highlights early innate immunity evolution in deuterostomes.

Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary immunology
  • Innate immunity
  • Complement system evolution

Background:

  • The innate immune system predates adaptive immunity, with the complement system being a key ancient subsystem.
  • Complement system evolution is traceable from echinoderms (sea urchins) through various vertebrate lineages, showing increasing complexity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the simplest complement system in sea urchins, focusing on components homologous to vertebrate C3 and factor B (Bf).
  • To understand the ancestral functions of the complement system and its role in early deuterostome host defense.

Main Methods:

  • Sequence analysis of sea urchin C3 (SpC3) and factor B (SpBf) homologues.
  • Immune challenge experiments in sea urchins to assess SpC3 and SpBf expression and function.

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Main Results:

  • Sea urchin SpC3 and SpBf exhibit ancestral characteristics and significant homology to vertebrate complement proteins.
  • SpC3 is inducible and abundant in coelomic fluid, while SpBf is constitutive and less abundant.
  • The sea urchin complement system functions in opsonization, enhancing phagocytosis of foreign cells by coelomocytes, similar to vertebrate systems.

Conclusions:

  • The sea urchin complement system, particularly its amplification feedback loop, likely provided a selective advantage in ancestral deuterostomes.
  • Studying sea urchin immunity offers insights into the evolution of adaptive immunity and its integration with innate immunity in early vertebrates.