20-BBSRC/NSF-BIO Regulatory control of innate immune response in marine invertebrates

Animals live in constantly changing environments that are rich in microbial life. Immune systems orchestrate the complex, dynamic relationships between animals and microbes by both eliminating pathogenic microbes as well as promoting the growth of beneficial microbiota. However, our understanding of innate immune mechanisms in most animal phyla, including vertebrates, remains limited. The proposed research addresses this considerable knowledge gap by exploiting the experimental advantages of echinoderm larvae to investigate immune responses in a relatively unexplored animal lineage. Echinoderm larvae are morphologically simple, free-swimming multicellular organisms equipped with a sophisticated cellular and molecular immune system. By integrating recently available sequencing data from several echinoderm species with technology for measuring gene expression at single-cell resolution, the proposed research will significantly advance our understanding of animal immunity. This proposal describes a collaborative, systems-level approach to define the regulatory mechanisms that control immune responses across different echinoderm species. This innovative analysis will reveal evolutionarily conserved principles of immune response as well as species-specific adaptations.