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Review
. 2020 Feb 18;9(2):34.
doi: 10.3390/biology9020034.

Extracellular Traps: An Ancient Weapon of Multiple Kingdoms

Ariane Neumann  1 , Graham Brogden  2 , Maren von Köckritz-Blickwede  2   3
Affiliations
Review

Extracellular Traps: An Ancient Weapon of Multiple Kingdoms

Ariane Neumann et al. Biology (Basel). .

Abstract

The discovery, in 2004, of extracellular traps released by neutrophils has extended our understanding of the mode of action of various innate immune cells. This fascinating discovery demonstrated the extracellular trapping and killing of various pathogens by neutrophils. During the last decade, evidence has accumulated showing that extracellular traps play a crucial role in the defence mechanisms of various cell types present in vertebrates, invertebrates, and plants. The aim of this review is to summarise the relevant literature on the evolutionary history of extracellular traps used as a weapon in various kingdoms of life.

Keywords: conserved mechanisms; defence mechanism; innate immunity; neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs); tree of life.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Phylogenetic distribution of extracellular traps among the (A) Animalia kingdom, with emphasis on Mammalia (B) with example references. Phylogeny was adapted from Kato et al. [21]. Branch length not calibrated, and root position not determined.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Carp kidney derived neutrophils. Nuclei are stained with DAPI (blue) and extracellular traps with an antibody against H2A-H2B-DNA complexes (green).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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