Mast Cells and Basophils: From Malevolent Design to Coevolutionary Arms Race

Anderson Sá-Nunes; Carlo J F Oliveira; José M Ribeiro

doi:10.1016/j.pt.2020.05.003

Mast Cells and Basophils: From Malevolent Design to Coevolutionary Arms Race

Trends Parasitol. 2020 Aug;36(8):655-659. doi: 10.1016/j.pt.2020.05.003. Epub 2020 May 21.

Authors

Anderson Sá-Nunes¹, Carlo J F Oliveira², José M Ribeiro³

Affiliations

¹ Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, Department of Immunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil. Electronic address: sanunes@usp.br.
² Laboratory of Immunology and Bioinformatics, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Institute of Biological and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Triangulo Mineiro, Uberaba, MG, Brazil. Electronic address: carlo.oliveira@uftm.edu.br.
³ Section of Vector Biology, Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA. Electronic address: jribeiro@niaid.nih.gov.

PMID: 32448702
DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2020.05.003

Abstract

Mast cells and basophils are central to acquired resistance against blood-feeding arthropods which, in turn, counteract these cells by modulating their biological activities. The phenotypic exuberance displayed in this battlefield points to a reciprocal selective pressure suggesting a coevolutionary arms race that shapes both ectoparasites and vertebrate hosts.

Keywords: basophils; blood-feeding arthropods; coevolution; mast cells; phenotypic exuberance.

Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Animals
Basophils / immunology*
Biological Evolution*
Ectoparasitic Infestations / immunology*
Ectoparasitic Infestations / parasitology*
Feeding Behavior
Host-Parasite Interactions / physiology*
Humans
Mast Cells / immunology*
Parasites / immunology*