Journal
CRITICAL REVIEWS IN IMMUNOLOGY
Volume 31, Issue 1, Pages 61-71Publisher
BEGELL HOUSE INC
DOI: 10.1615/CritRevImmunol.v31.i1.60
Keywords
adaptive immunity; evolution; BCR; TCR; MHC; RAG; cytokine signaling; transcription factors
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Adaptive immunity, involving distinctive antibody- and cell-mediated responses to specific antigens based on memory of previous exposure, is a hallmark of higher vertebrates. It has been argued that adaptive immunity arose rapidly, as articulated in the big bang theory surrounding its origins, which stresses the importance of coincident whole-genome duplications. Through a close examination of the key molecules and molecular processes underpinning adaptive immunity, this review suggests a less-extreme model, in which adaptive immunity emerged as part of longer evolutionary journey. Clearly, whole-genome duplications provided additional raw genetic materials that were vital to the emergence of adaptive immunity, but a variety of other genetic events were also required to generate some of the key molecules, whereas others were preexisting and simply co-opted into adaptive immunity.
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