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Earthworm Immunity

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Invertebrate Immunity

Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((AEMB,volume 708))

Abstract

Earthworms belonging to oligochaete annelids became a model for comparative immunologists in the early sixties with the publication of results from transplantation experiments that proved the existence of self/nonself recognition in earthworms. This initiated extensive studies on the earthworm immune mechanisms that evolved to prevent the invasion of pathogens. In the last four decades important cellular and humoral pathways were described and numerous biologically active compounds were characterized and often cloned.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Microbiology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic

    Martin Bilej, Petra Procházková, Marcela Šilerová & Radka Josková

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  1. Martin Bilej
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  2. Petra Procházková
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Correspondence to Martin Bilej .

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  1. Department of Comparative Physiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden

    Kenneth Söderhäll

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Bilej, M., Procházková, P., Šilerová, M., Josková, R. (2010). Earthworm Immunity. In: Söderhäll, K. (eds) Invertebrate Immunity. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 708. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-8059-5_4

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