Evolutionary perspective on the hematopoietic system through a colonial chordate: allogeneic immunity and hematopoiesis

Benyamin Rosental, Tal Raveh, Ayelet Voskoboynik, Irving L. Weissman

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

10 Scopus citations

Abstract

Evolution and selection have shaped diverse immune systems throughout phylogeny, the vast majority of which remain unexplored. Botryllus schlosseri is a colonial tunicate, a sister group to vertebrates, that develops as a chordate, then metamorphoses to an asexually reproductive invertebrate that every week makes the same body plan from budded stem cells. Genetically distinct B. schlosseri colonies can fuse to form a chimera, or reject each other based on allogeneic recognition. In chimeras, circulating germline and somatic stem cells participate in development; stem cells compete in all individuals in the fused colonies, with rejection preventing germline parasitism. Here we review the isolation and characterization of B. schlosseri hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) and their niches, and the role of the immune effector cells in allorecognition.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)91-98
Number of pages8
JournalCurrent Opinion in Immunology
Volume62
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Feb 2020

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Immunology and Allergy
  • Immunology

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Evolutionary perspective on the hematopoietic system through a colonial chordate: allogeneic immunity and hematopoiesis'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this