新的适应性免疫系统——可变淋巴受体研究进展

The research progress of variable lymphocyte receptors-a novel adaptive immune system

七鳃鳗是一种古老的脊椎动物,是脊椎动物进化的祖先。近年来,在其体内发现了一种新的适应性免疫形式受体——可变淋巴受体(variable lymphocyte receptor,VLR)。它类似于有颌类脊椎动物中的免疫球蛋白型抗原受体,是无颌类脊椎动物中重要的免疫受体分子。与免疫球蛋白型抗原受体相似,它不仅可以形成多种多样的VLR来识别大量抗原,还具有与T/B淋巴细胞受体相似的功能。这种特殊受体的发现,对揭示免疫系统的起源与进化具有重要意义。研究表明,这种新型的可变淋巴受体具有其特殊的形成机制、结构和功能特性,现阶段通过大量的研究已经对其形成机制、结构和功能有了更进一步的了解,并证明了VLR与T/B淋巴细胞受体具有一定的相似性。本文就近年来对可变淋巴受体的研究进展进行概述,为进一步深入研究适应性免疫系统的起源与进化提供相关资料。

Lamprey,as ancestor of vertebrates,is an ancient animal.In recent years,a new kind of variable receptors,variable lymphocyte receptor（VLR）,is found in lamprey.Similarly to the immunoglobulin-type antigen receptors of jawed vertebrates,VLR is a kind of important immune receptor molecule of jawless vertebrates,which can not identify abundant of antigen,but also has the similar functions of T/B lymphocytes receptor.This particular receptor plays an important role in revealing the origin and evolution of the immune system.Studies show that this new type of variable lymphocyte receptor has special forming mechanism,structure,and characteristics.Recently a lot of studies have been made and a further understanding to its forming mechanism,structure and function has been gained,and now it has been proved that VLR and T/B lymphocytes receptor possess certain similarity.In this article,we summarize some recent research progresses about variable lymphocyte receptor,and provided the relevant data for the further study of the origin and evolution of adaptive immune system.