The Immunoglobulins: New Insights, Implications, and Applications

Yi Sun1, Tian Huang2, Lennart Hammarström3

  • 1Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology and Disease Control and Prevention, College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an 271018, Shandong, People's Republic of China;

Immunoglobulins (Igs), as one of the hallmarks of adaptive immunity, first arose approximately 500 million years ago with the emergence of jawed vertebrates. Two events stand out in the evolutionary history of Igs from cartilaginous fish to mammals: (a) the diversification of Ig heavy chain (IgH) genes, resulting in Ig isotypes or subclasses associated with novel functions, and (b) the diversification of genetic and structural strategies, leading to the creation of the antibody repertoire we know today. This review first gives an overview of the IgH isotypes identified in jawed vertebrates to date and then highlights the implications or applications of five new recent discoveries arising from comparative studies of Igs derived from different vertebrate species.

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