Various roles of β-glucan in invertebrates

Authors

  • V Vetvicka University of Louisville, Department of Pathology, 511 S. Floyd, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
  • P Sima Institute of Microbiology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Videnska 1083, 142 20 Prague 4, Czech Republic

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25431/1824-307X/isj.v14i1.488-493

Keywords:

invertebrates, glucan receptors, GBP, lipopolysaccharide

Abstract

Glucans have a long history as immunomodulators; their effects confirmed in every species tested-from bees to humans. In invertebrates, glucan binding receptors are involved mainly in starting of the prophenoloxidase system, representing one of the first defense mechanisms that evolved in phylogeny. Our review summarizes the current knowledge of the glucan and lipopolysaccharide-binding proteins in invertebrates and offers a new possibility of using these proteins in human medicine.

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Published

2017-11-15

Issue

Vol. 14 No. 1 (2017)

Section

Review