Variability and function of immune genes in the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis

Abstract

Mytilus galloprovincialis is a bivalve mollusc of great commercial interest worldwide that lives anchored to the rocks and has a filtering way of life. Despite being constantly exposed to pathogens, no mass mortality events have been recorded in the natural environment (something that has occurred with other bivalve species such as oysters or clams). This immune resistance seems to reside in the great variability of immune molecules that the mussel genome encodes. Because of that, it has become interesting to study the immune response in infection situations, as well as the analysis of variability and function of some key peptides in the defense to diseases of these animals.