In response to an off-list question by Pete, who thought that I might
have ranged into science fiction  : )

"Trans-generational effects on immunity are well known from
vertebrates, but their existence in invertebrates remains
controversial. Earlier work on invertebrates has interpreted increased
offspring resistance to pathogens as trans-generational immune
priming. However, interpretation of these earlier studies involves
some caveats and thus full evidence for a direct effect of maternal
immune experience on offspring immunity is still lacking in
invertebrates. Here we show that induced levels of antibacterial
activity are higher in the worker offspring of the bumblebee, Bombus
terrestris L., when their mother queen received a corresponding immune
challenge prior to colony founding. This shows trans-generational
immune priming in an insect, with ramifications for the evolution of
sociality."

Trans-generational immune priming in a social insect

   1. Ben M Sadd*,
   2. Yvonne Kleinlogel,
   3. Regula Schmid-Hempel and
   4. Paul Schmid-Hempel
10.1098/rsbl.2005.0369    Biol. Lett.  22 December 2005   vol. 1  no. 4  386-388

There has also been published work on trans generational priming in
Daphnia and C. elegans, to name some other inverts.

Randy Oliver

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