The complement system plays an essential role in alerting the host of the presence of
potential pathogens, as well as in their clearing. In addition, activation of the complement …

Bacteria and other potential pathogens are cleared rapidly from the body fluids of
invertebrates by the immediate response of the innate immune system. Proteolytic cascades …

The recent accumulation of genomic information of many representative animals has made it
possible to trace the evolution of the complement system based on the presence or absence …

The immune system is the collection of effector molecules and cells of the host that act
against invading parasites and their products. Secreted proteases serve important roles in …

The sea urchin immune system Page 1 25 ISJ 3: 25-39, 2006 ISSN 1824-307X Review The sea
urchin immune system LC Smith1, JP Rast2, V Brockton1, DP Terwilliger1, SV Nair3, KM …

Reef-building corals are representatives of one of the earliest diverging metazoan lineages
and are experiencing increases in bleaching events (breakdown of the coral-Symbiodinium …

The purple sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus expresses a homologue of
complement component C3 (SpC3), which acts as a humoral opsonin. Significantly …

Deuterostome invertebrates possess complement genes, and in limited instances
complement-mediated functions have been reported in these organisms. However, the …

Anaphylatoxins are small molecules (∼ 9kDa) that are generated as a result of the
activation of the complement system. These molecules play an important role in …

All metazoans are endowed with defense mechanisms against invading pathogens. The
defense machinery has increased in complexity during evolution, with the addition of new …