Innate Immunity Mechanisms in Marine Multicellular Organisms

Abstract

The innate immune system provides an adequate response to stress factors and pathogens through pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), located on the surface of cell membranes and in the cytoplasm. Generally, the structures of PRRs are formed by several domains that are evolutionarily conserved, with a fairly high degree of homology in representatives of different species. The orthologs of TLRs, NLRs, RLRs and CLRs are widely represented, not only in marine chordates, but also in invertebrates. Study of the interactions of the most ancient marine multicellular organisms with microorganisms gives us an idea of the evolution of molecular mechanisms of protection against pathogens and reveals new functions of already known proteins in ensuring the body’s homeostasis. The review discusses innate immunity mechanisms of protection of marine invertebrate organisms against infections, using the examples of ancient multicellular hydroids, tunicates, echinoderms, and marine worms in the context of searching for analogies with vertebrate innate immunity. Due to the fact that mucous membranes first arose in marine invertebrates that have existed for several hundred million years, study of their innate immune system is both of fundamental importance in terms of understanding molecular mechanisms of host defense, and of practical application, including the search of new antimicrobial agents for subsequent use in medicine, veterinary and biotechnology.