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Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences logoLink to Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
. 2000 Mar 29;355(1395):369–371. doi: 10.1098/rstb.2000.0576

On immunological memory.

R M Zinkernagel 1
PMCID: PMC1692736  PMID: 10794057

Abstract

Immunological memory may not represent a special characteristic of lymphocytes but simply reflect low-level responses driven by antigen that is re-encountered or persists within the host. T-cell memory is important to control persistent infections within the individual host and cannot be transmitted to offspring because of MHC polymorphism and MHC-restricted T-cell recognition. In contrast, antibody memory is transmissible from mother to offspring and may function essentially to protect offspring during the phase of physiological immuno-incompetence before, at and shortly after birth. This physiological immuno-incompetence is a result of MHC polymorphism and the dangers of the graft-versus-host and host-versus-graft reaction between mother and embryo, which necessitate immunosuppression of the mother and immuno-incompetence of the offspring. One may argue therefore that immunological memory of transmissible immunological experience is the basis on which MHC-restricted T-cell recognition could develop or coevolve.

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Selected References

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