High Innate Immune Specificity through Diversified C-Type Lectin-Like Domain Proteins in Invertebrates.

ABSTRACT: A key question in current immunity research is how the innate immune system can generate high levels of specificity. Evidence is accumulating that invertebrates, which exclusively rely on innate defense mechanisms, can differentiate between pathogens on the species and even strain level. In this review, we identify and discuss the particular potential of C-type lectin-like domain (CTLD) proteins to generate high immune specificity. Whilst several CTLD proteins are known to act as pattern recognition receptors in the vertebrate innate immune system, the exact role of CTLD proteins in invertebrate immunity is much less understood. We show that CTLD genes are highly abundant in most metazoan genomes and summarize the current state of knowledge on CTLD protein function in insect, crustacean an

SUBMITTER: Pees B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6738811 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature