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Macrokines:invertebrate cytokine-like molecules?
1Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts at Boston, 100 Morrissey Blvd., Boston, MA 02125-3393, USA. greg.beck@umb.edu
Frontiers in Bioscience : a Journal and Virtual Library
|June 18, 1998
Summary
Researchers are exploring the ancient origins of the immune system by studying invertebrate proteins, termed macrokines, which exhibit vertebrate cytokine-like activities. This work reveals the evolutionary history of host defense mechanisms.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Molecular Biology
- Evolutionary Immunology
Background:
- Key immunoregulatory molecules, such as cytokines, are crucial for mammalian immune responses.
- These molecules appear to have homologs in phylogenetically diverse invertebrate species.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the evolutionary origins of the immune system.
- To identify ancient components of the vertebrate innate immune response.
- To characterize invertebrate proteins with vertebrate cytokine-like activities.
Main Methods:
- Application of contemporary biochemistry and molecular biology techniques.
- Comparative analysis of immunoregulatory molecules across species.
Main Results:
- Identification of invertebrate proteins exhibiting vertebrate cytokine-like activities, proposed as 'macrokines'.
- Demonstration of the ancient evolutionary origins of innate host defense mechanisms.
Conclusions:
- Basic elements of innate host defense are ancient, dating back to early animal evolution.
- Studying macrokines can illuminate previously unappreciated aspects of vertebrate host defense and immune responses.