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Isolation and Identification of Bacterial Strains from Skin of Terrestrial Amphibians
Published on: June 17, 2025
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Microbiota and mucosal immunity in amphibians
Bruno M Colombo1, Thibault Scalvenzi1, Sarah Benlamara1
1Institute of Systems and Synthetic Biology, Université d'Evry Val d'Essonne , Evry , France.
Frontiers in Immunology
|March 31, 2015
Summary
Microbes are crucial for mucosal immunity in animals. This review compares amphibian and mammalian gut immunity, highlighting Xenopus tadpoles as a model for studying microbiota-host interactions.
Area of Science:
- Comparative immunology
- Microbial ecology
Background:
- Microbes are essential regulators of mucosal immunity in animals.
- Most research focuses on mammals, leaving amphibian mucosal immunity understudied.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare amphibian and mammalian lymphoid organs and immune cells, focusing on the gut.
- To characterize amphibian microbiota and its impact on mucosal immunity.
- To propose Xenopus tadpoles as a model for gut microbiota research.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of existing literature on mammalian and amphibian mucosal immunity.
- Focus on gut-associated lymphoid tissues and immune cell functions in amphibians.
- Examination of amphibian gut microbiota composition and function.
Main Results:
- Amphibians possess distinct lymphoid organs and immune cells relevant to gut immunity.
- Amphibian gut microbiota plays a significant role in modulating mucosal immunity.
- Comparative data reveals conserved and divergent aspects of mucosal immunity between amphibians and mammals.
Conclusions:
- Amphibian mucosal immunity shares fundamental principles with mammals but has unique features.
- Xenopus tadpoles offer a valuable model for advancing our understanding of gut microbiota immunology.
- Further research in amphibians can provide broader insights into host-microbe interactions.
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