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Interactions at sea: on the microbiome life-cycle and biogeochemical processes.

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The holobiont self: understanding immunity in context.

Tamar Schneider1

  • 1Cohn Institute for History and Philosophy of Science and Ideas, Humanities Faculty, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, 6997801, Tel Aviv, Israel. Tamisch0106@gmail.com.

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The holobiont, an assemblage of host and microbes, challenges traditional views of individuality. Reframing it as a host-ecosystem offers new ecological perspectives on immunity and organismal boundaries.

Keywords:
Ecological communityHolobiontHost ecosystemImmunityPersistence and stability of interactions

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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.