Biology Department researchers find similarities in the antibodies of different mammals. Antibodies are adaptor molecules that neutralize pathogens and link humoral and cellular defense mechanisms. Immunoglobulin D (IgD), one of the five antibody classes present in mammals, is expressed as an antigen receptor on naive B cells. The functional role that IgD plays in the immune response is still poorly understood, but the recent characterization of immunoglobulin heavy constant delta genes (IGHD) in a variety of species challenges the view that IgD is of minor importance and is not present in many animals. The preservation of IgD in primates, dogs and previously characterized species suggests an important functional role for IgD, possibly involving binding to a receptor. The high degree of similarity existing between the structural features of human and non-human primate IgD suggests that non-human primates are suitable for in vivo studies designed to define the role that IgD plays in the immune response. Publication: Molecular characterization of immunoglobulin D in mammals: immunoglobulin heavy constant delta genes in dogs, chimpanzees and four old world monkey species. Immunology. 2006 May;118(1):88-100.

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