Chapter 5 – Pattern Recognition System in Amphioxus

This chapter introduces the pattern recognition system in amphioxus. It starts by giving an overview of pattern recognition and its related signaling in vertebrates and then introduces the TLR signaling pathway, innate antiviral immunity, and NLR signaling pathway in amphioxus. In this chapter, by summarizing recent studies on TLRs and NLRs, as well as by discussing the evolution of antiviral mechanisms, an extraordinary and complex innate immune system in basal chordate amphioxus is presented and compared with that in other species.