The Evolution of the Immune System: Conservation and Diversification

The Evolution of the Immune System: Conservation and Diversification is the first book of its kind that prompts a new perspective when describing and considering the evolution of the immune system. Its unique approach summarizes, updates, and provides new insights on the different immune receptors, soluble factors, and immune cell effectors.

Helps the reader gain a modern idea of the evolution of the immune systems in pluricellular organismsProvides a complete overview of the most studied and hot topics in comparative and evolutionary immunologyReflects the organisation of the immune system (cell-based, humoral [innate], humoral [adaptive]) without introducing further and misleading levels of organizationBrings concepts and ideas on the evolution of the immune system to a wide readership

THE PLAYERS OF CELL-BASED IMMUNITY IN METAZOANS 1. Hematopoiesis and hemocytes in Arthropods and Molluscs 2. Origin and functions of Tunicate hemocytes 3. The lymphocyte-like system of lamprey 4. The evolution of lymphocytes in Gnathostomata

THE EVOLUTION OF IMMUNE-RELATED SOLUBLE FACTORS 5. Vertebrate cytokines and their evolution 6. The evolution of complement system functions and pathways in vertebrates 7. Antiviral Immunity: origin and evolution in vertebrates 8. Evolutionary-conserved traits of lectins in the immune response 9. Origin and evolution of the neuro-immune cross talk in immunity

THE EVOLUTION OF DIVERSITY IN IMMUNE SYSTEM 10. The evolutionary history and the immune-related roles of Dscam in arthropods 11. Functions and diversity of fibrinogen-related domains in evolution 12. The Sp185/333 proteins and their involvement in immunity 13. The evolution of Toll-like receptor system 14. The evolution of Major Histocompatibility Complex in teleosts 15. The evolution of vertebrate mucosal immune responses to pathogens and microbiota