Flajnik Martin F, Du Pasquier Louis
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland at Baltimore School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201-1559, USA.
Trends Immunol. 2004 Dec;25(12):640-4. doi: 10.1016/j.it.2004.10.001.
Several recent findings in the field of comparative immunology have reinforced the importance of examining the molecular and functional features of immune systems in a variety of organisms. Particularly exciting are the discoveries of a new gene rearrangement mechanism in lampreys and a somatic diversification of mollusk immune genes. These immune features being found in animals previously believed only to have innate immunity, as well as the flood of information on immune genes, molecules and mechanisms in many different creatures, have prompted us to revisit the artificial dichotomy between adaptive and innate immune systems. Although we draw no startling conclusions, we hope to encourage different thought patterns when viewing immune systems.
比较免疫学领域最近的几项研究结果进一步强调了研究各种生物体免疫系统的分子和功能特征的重要性。特别令人兴奋的是在七鳃鳗中发现了一种新的基因重排机制以及软体动物免疫基因的体细胞多样化。这些免疫特征在以前被认为只具有先天免疫的动物中被发现，以及许多不同生物中关于免疫基因、分子和机制的大量信息，促使我们重新审视适应性免疫系统和先天免疫系统之间的人为二分法。虽然我们没有得出惊人的结论，但我们希望在看待免疫系统时鼓励不同的思维模式。
