Variable lymphocyte receptors (VLRs) belong to the
Leucine-rich repeat
A leucine-rich repeat (LRR) is a protein structural motif that forms an α/β horseshoe fold. It is composed of repeating 20–30 amino acid stretches that are unusually rich in the hydrophobic amino acid leucine. These tandem repeats common ...
(LRR) family and mediate
adaptive immune response
The adaptive immune system, also known as the acquired immune system, is a subsystem of the immune system that is composed of specialized, systemic cells and processes that eliminate pathogens or prevent their growth. The acquired immune system ...
s in the
jawless vertebrates
Agnatha (, Ancient Greek 'without jaws') is an infraphylum of jawless fish in the phylum Chordata, subphylum Vertebrata, consisting of both present (cyclostomes) and extinct ( conodonts and ostracoderms) species. Among recent animals, cyclosto ...
,
lamprey
Lampreys (sometimes inaccurately called lamprey eels) are an ancient extant lineage of jawless fish of the order Petromyzontiformes , placed in the superclass Cyclostomata. The adult lamprey may be characterized by a toothed, funnel-like s ...
s and
hagfish
Hagfish, of the class Myxini (also known as Hyperotreti) and order Myxiniformes , are eel-shaped, slime-producing marine fish (occasionally called slime eels). They are the only known living animals that have a skull but no vertebral column, a ...
.
See also
*
Adaptive immunity in jawless fish
Agnatha, Jawless vertebrates, which today consist entirely of lampreys and hagfish, have an adaptive immune system similar to that found in Gnathostomata, jawed vertebrates. The cells of the agnathan AIS have roles roughly equivalent to those of B ...
References
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Receptors
Agnatha