The holobiont self: understanding immunity in context

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Ecology
• Philosophy of Science

Background:

• The holobiont concept, encompassing host and its associated microbes, raises questions about organismal individuality and environmental interactions.
• Current understanding often conflates the holobiont with the host organism due to their codependent relationship.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the concept of immunity and immune system function from a holobiont perspective.
• To propose a novel view of the holobiont as a host-ecosystem.
• To redefine holobiont boundaries and immunity using ecological principles.

Main Methods:

• Conceptual analysis of the holobiont and immune system.
• Ecological framework application to holobiont interactions.
• Discussion of implications for immunogenicity and biomedical practices.

Main Results:

• Viewing the holobiont as a host-ecosystem allows for ecological definitions of boundaries and immunity.
• Holobiont immunity is characterized by the persistence of complex interactions among its constituent organisms.
• Immunogenicity is presented as ontologically heterogeneous, encompassing diverse tolerance and response mechanisms.

Conclusions:

• The host-ecosystem model provides a unified ecological framework for understanding holobiont boundaries and immunity.
• Immunity emerges from the intricate interdependence within the holobiont, akin to ecosystem resilience.
• This perspective offers new conceptualizations for biomedical practices related to host-microbe interactions.