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The Immune System of Cartilaginous Fish

  • Chapter
Origin and Evolution of the Vertebrate Immune System

Part of the book series: Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology ((CT MICROBIOLOGY,volume 248))

Abstract

Chondrichthyes, or cartilaginous fish, are a highly successful group of vertebrates. Most extant species are long-lived, display an amazing diversity, and fill all predatory oceanic niches (and a few other niches as well; Wilson 1992). For our purposes, they are the oldest group of vertebrates shown to possess an adaptive immune system grounded on immunoglobulins (Ig), T cell receptors (TCR), and major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I and class II molecules (Litman et al. 1999). The examination of these molecules and genes, the mechanisms of recombination and the somatic mutation of antigen receptor genes, as well as the manner by which immune responses occur in secondary (and other?) lymphoid tissues, in comparison to vertebrates of other classes, allow us to develop paradigms to illustrate the immune system in the common ancestor of all jawed vertebrates.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 655 West Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA

    M. F. Flajnik & L. L. Rumfelt

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  1. M. F. Flajnik
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  2. L. L. Rumfelt
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  1. Basel Institute for Immunlogy, Grenzacherstr. 487, CH-4005, Basel, Switzerland

    Louis Du Pasquier

  2. All Children’s Hospital, University of South Florida, 801 6th Street South, 33701, St. Petersburg, FL, USA

    Gary W. Litman M.D.

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Flajnik, M.F., Rumfelt, L.L. (2000). The Immune System of Cartilaginous Fish. In: Du Pasquier, L., Litman, G.W. (eds) Origin and Evolution of the Vertebrate Immune System. Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology, vol 248. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-59674-2_11

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-59674-2_11

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