The innate immune system is present in all animals and is a crucial first line of defence
against pathogens. However, animals also harbour large numbers of beneficial …

The invertebrate immune system, which has become a major research focus, shares basic
features of innate immunity with vertebrates and men. A special feature apparently found …

Animals evolved in a world teeming with microbes, which play pivotal roles in their health,
development, and evolution. Although the overwhelming majority of living animals are …

Immune system processes serve as the backbone of animal defences against pathogens
and thus have evolved under strong selection and coevolutionary dynamics. Most …

Like many organisms, bacteria and archaea have both innate and adaptive immune systems
to defend against infection by viruses and other parasites. Innate immunity most commonly …

Beneficial associations with bacteria are widespread across animals, spanning a range of
symbiont localizations, transmission routes, and functions. While some of these associations …

The approximate 30 extant invertebrate phyla have diversified along separate evolutionary
trajectories for hundreds of millions of years. Although recent work understandably has …

The emergence of the adaptive immune system in vertebrates set the stage for evolution of
an advanced symbiotic relationship with the intestinal microbiota. The defining features of …

The mammalian intestine is home to dense and complex indigenous bacterial communities.
Most of these bacteria establish beneficial symbiotic relationships with their hosts, making …

All animals live in symbiosis. Shaped by eons of co-evolution, host-bacterial associations
have developed into prosperous relationships creating mechanisms for mutual benefits to …