The innate immune system is an evolutionarily ancient line of defense, which offers a rapid, crucial, and non-specific response to microbial invaders. While vertebrates rely on both innate and adaptive immune system, invertebrates fully rely on innate immunity to recognize, fight, and eliminate pathogens.
Understanding the evolution of the immune system and the mechanisms that regulate the immune response require the use of animal models. Bivalve molluscs, such as oysters, mussels, and clams, are equipped with both cellular and humoral components of the innate immune systems and offer a great opportunity to study the primitive immune systems.
In this Research Topic we aim at gathering articles exploring the use of oysters and other bivalve molluscs for the study of the immune system and its evolution. With this collection we want to review the state of the art of our knowledge on the primitive immune systems, it’s components and effectors and provide insights on the use of bivalves as model to study the immune system in physiological and pathological conditions.
We particularly welcome submission of Original Research, Review, Mini Review, Perspective articles on the following subtopics:
• Molecular mechanisms of anti-viral response
• Molecular mechanisms of anti-bacterial response
• Cellular components of the innate immune system
• Functional and structural characterization of innate immune receptors
• Immune priming and underlying mechanisms
• Evolutionary conserved vs divergent pathways
• Aspects of phylogenetics
• The advantages on the use of bivalve molluscs for the study of the innate immune system
The innate immune system is an evolutionarily ancient line of defense, which offers a rapid, crucial, and non-specific response to microbial invaders. While vertebrates rely on both innate and adaptive immune system, invertebrates fully rely on innate immunity to recognize, fight, and eliminate pathogens.
Understanding the evolution of the immune system and the mechanisms that regulate the immune response require the use of animal models. Bivalve molluscs, such as oysters, mussels, and clams, are equipped with both cellular and humoral components of the innate immune systems and offer a great opportunity to study the primitive immune systems.
In this Research Topic we aim at gathering articles exploring the use of oysters and other bivalve molluscs for the study of the immune system and its evolution. With this collection we want to review the state of the art of our knowledge on the primitive immune systems, it’s components and effectors and provide insights on the use of bivalves as model to study the immune system in physiological and pathological conditions.
We particularly welcome submission of Original Research, Review, Mini Review, Perspective articles on the following subtopics:
• Molecular mechanisms of anti-viral response
• Molecular mechanisms of anti-bacterial response
• Cellular components of the innate immune system
• Functional and structural characterization of innate immune receptors
• Immune priming and underlying mechanisms
• Evolutionary conserved vs divergent pathways
• Aspects of phylogenetics
• The advantages on the use of bivalve molluscs for the study of the innate immune system
