Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131.
Integr Comp Biol. 2005 Aug;45(4):623-30. doi: 10.1093/icb/45.4.623.
Colonial basal metazoans often encounter members of their own species as they grow on hard substrata, with the encounters typically resulting in either fusion of close relatives or rejection between unrelated colonies. These allorecognition responses play a critical role in maintaining the genetic and physiological integrity of the colony. Allorecognition responses in basal metazoans are controlled by highly variable genetic systems. The molecular nature of such systems, however, remains to be determined. Current efforts to identify the genes and molecules controlling allorecognition in basal metazoans have followed two pathways: identification of molecules differentially expressed in incompatible interactions, and positional or map-based cloning of allorecognition genes. Most studies following the first approach have been performed with marine demosponges, while those following the second approach have centered on the cnidarian of the genus Hydractinia. Here, I discuss the latter, focusing primarily on the genetic control of allorecognition responses.
殖民地基生后生动物在硬底质上生长时，经常会遇到同种成员，这些相遇通常导致近亲融合或无关殖民地之间的排斥。这些异体识别反应在维持殖民地的遗传和生理完整性方面起着关键作用。基生后生动物的异体识别反应受高度可变的遗传系统控制。然而，这些系统的分子性质仍有待确定。目前，识别控制基生后生动物异体识别的基因和分子的努力遵循两条途径：鉴定在不兼容相互作用中差异表达的分子，以及位置或基于图谱的异体识别基因克隆。大多数采用第一种方法的研究都是在海洋海绵中进行的，而采用第二种方法的研究则集中在腔肠动物门的海葵属上。在这里，我将讨论后者，主要关注异体识别反应的遗传控制。
