Antimicrobial peptides in annelids

Abstract

Gene encoded antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are widely distributed among living organisms
including plants, invertebrates and vertebrates. They constitute important effectors of the innate
immune response by exerting multiple roles as mediators of inflammation with impact on epithelial and inflammatory cells influencing diverse processes such as cytokine release, cell proliferation,
angiogenesis, wound healing, chemotaxis and immune induction. In invertebrates, most of the data
describe the characterization and/or the function of AMPs in the numerically and economically most
representative group which are arthropods. Annelids are among the first coelomates and are therefore of special phylogenetic interest. Compared to other invertebrate groups, data on annelid’s immunity reveal heavier emphasis on the cellular than on the humoral response suggesting that immune defense of annelids seems to be principally developed as cellular immunity.This paper gives an overview of the variety of AMPs identified in the three classes of annelids, i.e. polychaetes,
oligochaetes and achaetes. Their functions, when they have been studied, in the humoral or cellular
response of annelids are also mentioned.