Why does the immune system of Atlantic cod lack MHC II?

Bastiaan Star; Sissel Jentoft

doi:10.1002/bies.201200005

Why does the immune system of Atlantic cod lack MHC II?

Bioessays. 2012 Aug;34(8):648-51. doi: 10.1002/bies.201200005. Epub 2012 Apr 13.

Authors

Bastiaan Star¹, Sissel Jentoft

Affiliation

¹ Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway. [email protected]

Abstract

MHC II, a major feature of the adaptive immune system, is lacking in Atlantic cod, and there are different scenarios (metabolic cost hypothesis or functional shift hypothesis) that might explain this loss. The lack of MHC II coincides with an increased number of genes for MHC I and Toll-like receptors (TLRs).

MeSH terms

Adaptive Immunity*
Animals
Bacteria / growth & development
Bacteria / immunology
Biota
Cold Temperature
Environment
Evolution, Molecular
Gadus morhua / genetics
Gadus morhua / immunology*
Genes, MHC Class II*
Genetic Drift
Host-Pathogen Interactions
Selection, Genetic
Species Specificity
Toll-Like Receptors / immunology

Substances

Toll-Like Receptors