Alan G. Barbour

Introduction As Hagai et al. noted, the immune system’s characteristics of both rapid divergence and high cell-to-cell variability “seem to be at odds with strong regulatory constraints imposed on the host immune response: the need to execute a well-coordinated and carefully balanced program to avoid tissue damage and pathological immune conditions” (1). To resolve this apparent paradox, established animal models, principally the house mouse Mus musculus, are commonly enlisted.

eLife assessment This study provides a comprehensive whole genome transcriptomic analysis of three small mammals, including Peromyscus leucopus, after exposure to endotoxin lipopolysaccharide. The authors find that the inflammatory response of the three species is complex and that P. leucopus responds differently compared to mice and rats.

Open AccessArticle by 1,*, 2 and 3 1 Departments of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics and Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA 2 Department of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics, School of Medicine, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA 3 Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.