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IgT, a primitive immunoglobulin class specialized in mucosal immunity
Yong-An Zhang1, Irene Salinas, Jun Li
1Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Nature Immunology
|August 3, 2010
Summary
Teleost fish possess immunoglobulin T (IgT), which functions as a mucosal antibody in the gut, unlike other immunoglobulins. This suggests convergent evolution of mucosal immunity in vertebrates.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Fish Biology
Background:
- Teleost fish, the most primitive bony vertebrates, possess immunoglobulins but lack immunoglobulin A (IgA) or a functional equivalent.
- This absence suggested that immunoglobulin specialization for mucosal and systemic immunity evolved later, during tetrapod evolution.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the function of immunoglobulin T (IgT), an isotype of unknown function in teleost fish.
- To challenge the paradigm that IgA specialization is unique to tetrapod evolution.
Main Methods:
- Detection of rainbow trout IgT responses to an intestinal parasite.
- Analysis of immunoglobulin M (IgM) responses in serum.
- Assessment of IgT coating of intestinal bacteria.
Main Results:
- Rainbow trout IgT responded to an intestinal parasite exclusively in the gut.
- IgM responses were limited to the serum.
- IgT was found to coat the majority of intestinal bacteria.
Conclusions:
- Immunoglobulin T (IgT) in teleost fish functions as a mucosal antibody, similar to IgA in mammals and birds.
- The independent evolution of IgT and IgA into mucosal antibody roles suggests convergent evolution of mucosal immunity.
- This finding challenges the established timeline of immunoglobulin specialization during vertebrate evolution.
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