Submit to Special Issue Submit Abstract to Special Issue Review for IJMS Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Fish Immunology 4.0

Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Related Special Issues
Published Papers

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Immunology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2024 | Viewed by 8343

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Elena Chaves-Pozo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Centro Oceanográfico de Murcia (COMU-IEO), CSIC, Carretera de la Azohía s/n, Puerto de Mazarrón, 30860 Murcia, Spain
Interests: immune-reproductive responses; marine fish; viral transmission through the gonad; endocrine disruption
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Alberto Cuesta

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Department of Cell Biology and Histology, Faculty of Biology, Campus Regional de Excelencia Internacional “Campus Mare Nostrum”, University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain
Interests: fish, immunology; virus, AMPs; toxicology; cell lines; vaccines; aquaculture; biotechnology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue is a continuation of our previous Special Issue on “Fish Immunology 3.0”.

A Special Issue on the topic of “Fish Immunology” is being launched by the International Journal of Molecular Sciences. Fish represent a fascinating research model in immunology, because they were the first group during animal evolution to have a complete and functional immune system comprising a diverse and interconnected array of both innate and acquired immune tissues, cells, and molecules. Apart from this, the spectacular growth of aquaculture production for human nutrition has attracted the focus of many researchers all over the world for practical and applied purposes. In addition, the implementation of zebrafish as a biomedicine model is extending the range of interests and potential of fish biology, including immunology. This Special Issue aims to gather new research and applied topics in the field of fish immunology at the molecular level, including but not limited to issues relating to immunoglobulins, toll-like receptors, chemokines, interferons, lectins, acute-phase proteins, interleukins, antimicrobial peptides, and inflammation, as well as leucocyte types, distribution and trafficking, maturation and molecular markers, vaccines, response to pathogens, immune regulation, evolution, and so on. Reviews or research articles in this fascinating area, which discuss the benefits of using fish as models of study and their applications or which aim to discern the bottlenecks in the field, are welcome.

Dr. Elena Chaves-Pozo
Dr. Alberto Cuesta
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

fish immunology
innate immunity
acquired immunity
leucocytes
disease
immunostimulants
immunodepression
inflammation

Related Special Issues

Fish Immunology in International Journal of Molecular Sciences (12 articles)
Fish Immunology 2.0 in International Journal of Molecular Sciences (17 articles)
Fish Immunology 3.0 in International Journal of Molecular Sciences (19 articles)

Published Papers (8 papers)

Download All Papers

Order results

Result details

Show export options Show export options

Select all

Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

17 pages, 4983 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Potential Involvement of the South American Lungfish Intelectin-2 in Innate-Associated Immune Modulation

by Gabriela Patrícia Martins de Almeida Bernardes, Gustavo Marques Serra, Lucas da Silva e Silva, Maíra Pompeu Martins, Louise Neiva Perez, Fábio Alberto de Molfetta, Agenor Valadares Santos and Maria Paula Cruz Schneider

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(9), 4798; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25094798 (registering DOI) - 27 Apr 2024

Viewed by 365

Abstract

Intelectins belong to a family of lectins with specific and transitory carbohydrate interaction capabilities. These interactions are related to the activity of agglutinating pathogens, as intelectins play a significant role in immunity. Despite the prominent immune defense function of intelectins, limited information about its structural characteristics and carbohydrate interaction properties is available. This study investigated an intelectin transcript identified in RNA-seq data obtained from the South American lungfish (Lepidosiren paradoxa), namely LpITLN2-B. The structural analyses predicted LpITLN2-B to be a homo-trimeric globular protein with the fibrinogen-like functional domain (FReD), exhibiting a molecular mass of 57 kDa. The quaternary structure is subdivided into three monomers, A, B, and C, and each domain comprises 11 β-sheets: an anti-parallel β-sheet, a β-hairpin, and a disordered β-sheet structure. Molecular docking demonstrates a significant interaction with disaccharides rather than monosaccharides. The preferential interaction with disaccharides highlights the potential interaction with pathogen molecules, such as LPS and Poly(I:C). The hemagglutination assay inhibited lectins activity, especially maltose and sucrose, highlighting lectin activity in L. paradoxa samples. Overall, our results show the potential relevance of LpITLN2-B in L. paradoxa immune defense against pathogens. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fish Immunology 4.0)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 7673 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Collectin-K1 Plays a Role in the Clearance of Streptococcus agalactiae in Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)

by Jinfeng Mo, Jiadong Li, Li Qiu, Yiqing Wang, Liangliang Mu and Jianmin Ye

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(5), 2508; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25052508 - 21 Feb 2024

Viewed by 508

Abstract

Collectin-K1 (CL-K1) is a multifunctional C-type lectin that has been identified as playing a crucial role in innate immunity. It can bind to carbohydrates on pathogens, leading to direct neutralization, agglutination, and/or opsonization, thereby inhibiting pathogenic infection. In this study, we investigated a homolog of CL-K1 (OnCL-K1) in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and its role in promoting the clearance of the pathogen Streptococcus agalactiae (S. agalactiae) and enhancing the antibacterial ability of the fish. Our analysis of bacterial load displayed that OnCL-K1 substantially reduced the amount of S. agalactiae in tissues of the liver, spleen, anterior kidney, and brain in Nile tilapia. Furthermore, examination of tissue sections revealed that OnCL-K1 effectively alleviated tissue damage and inflammatory response in the liver, anterior kidney, spleen, and brain tissue of tilapia following S. agalactiae infection. Additionally, OnCL-K1 was found to decrease the expression of the pro-inflammatory factor IL-6 and migration inhibitor MIF, while increasing the expression of anti-inflammatory factor IL-10 and chemokine IL-8 in the spleen, anterior kidney, and brain tissues of tilapia. Moreover, statistical analysis of survival rates demonstrated that OnCL-K1 significantly improved the survival rate of tilapia after infection, with a survival rate of 90%. Collectively, our findings suggest that OnCL-K1 plays a vital role in the innate immune defense of resisting bacterial infection in Nile tilapia. It promotes the removal of bacterial pathogens from the host, inhibits pathogen proliferation in vivo, reduces damage to host tissues caused by pathogens, and improves the survival rate of the host. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fish Immunology 4.0)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

29 pages, 5500 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Dynamic Interplay of Metabolic and Transcriptional Responses in Shrimp during Early and Late Infection Stages of Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei (EHP)

by Leiting Zhang, Sheng Zhang, Yi Qiao, Xiaohui Cao, Jie Cheng, Qingguo Meng and Hui Shen

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(23), 16738; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms242316738 - 25 Nov 2023

Viewed by 1174

Abstract

Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei (EHP) is a microsporidian parasite that infects Litopenaeus vannamei, causing severe hepatopancreatic microsporidiosis (HPM) and resulting in significant economic losses. This study utilizes a combined analysis of transcriptomics and metabolomics to unveil the dynamic molecular interactions between EHP and its host, the Pacific white shrimp, during the early and late stages of infection. The results indicate distinct immunological, detoxification, and antioxidant responses in the early and late infection phases. During early EHP infection in shrimp, immune activation coincides with suppression of genes like Ftz-F1 and SEPs, potentially aiding parasitic evasion. In contrast, late infection shows a refined immune response with phagocytosis-enhancing down-regulation of Ftz-F1 and a resurgence in SEP expression. This phase is characterized by an up-regulated detoxification and antioxidant response, likely a defense against the accumulated effects of EHP, facilitating a stable host–pathogen relationship. In the later stages of infection, most immune responses return to baseline levels, while some immune genes remain active. The glutathione antioxidant system is suppressed early on but becomes activated in the later stages. This phenomenon could facilitate the early invasion of EHP while assisting the host in mitigating oxidative damage caused by late-stage infection. Notably, there are distinctive events in polyamine metabolism. Sustained up-regulation of spermidine synthase and concurrent reduction in spermine levels suggest a potential role of polyamines in EHP development. Throughout the infection process, significant differences in genes such as ATP synthase and hexokinase highlight the continuous influence on energy metabolism pathways. Additionally, growth-related pathways involving amino acids such as tryptophan, histidine, and taurine are disrupted early on, potentially contributing to the growth inhibition observed during the initial stages of infection. In summary, these findings elucidate the dynamic interplay between the host, Litopenaeus vannamei, and the parasite, EHP, during infection. Specific phase differences in immune responses, energy metabolism, and antioxidant processes underscore the intricate relationship between the host and the parasite. The disruption of polyamine metabolism offers a novel perspective in understanding the proliferation mechanisms of EHP. These discoveries significantly advance our comprehension of the pathogenic mechanisms of EHP and its interactions with the host. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fish Immunology 4.0)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

25 pages, 3898 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Nervous Necrosis Virus Modulation of European Sea Bass (Dicentrarchus labrax, L.) Immune Genes and Transcriptome towards Establishment of Virus Carrier State

by Dimitra K. Toubanaki, Antonia Efstathiou, Odysseas-Panagiotis Tzortzatos, Michail-Aggelos Valsamidis, Leonidas Papaharisis, Vasileios Bakopoulos and Evdokia Karagouni

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(23), 16613; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms242316613 - 22 Nov 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1117

Abstract

Viral infections of teleost fish have great environmental and economic implications in aquaculture. Nervous necrosis virus (NNV) is a pathogen affecting more than 120 different species, causing high mortality and morbidity. Herein, we studied the course of NNV experimental infection of D. labrax, focusing on survivors which indicated viral carrier state. To determine the carrier state of D. labrax head kidney, we performed a gene expression analysis of selected immune-related genes and we profiled its transcriptome 14 days post infection (dpi). All tested genes showed clear differentiations in expression levels while most of them were up-regulated 14 dpi suggesting that their role is not limited in early antiviral responses, but they are also implicated in disease persistence. To gain a better understanding of the fish that survived the acute infection but still maintained a high viral load, we studied the differential expression of 124 up-regulated and 48 down-regulated genes in D. labrax head kidney, at 14 dpi. Concluding, the NNV virus persistent profile was assessed in D. labrax, where immune-related gene modification was intense (14 dpi) and the head kidney transcriptome profile at this time point offered a glimpse into host attempts to control the infection in asymptomatic carriers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fish Immunology 4.0)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 2867 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Chitosan Microparticles Enhance the Intestinal Release and Immune Response of an Immune Stimulant Peptide in Oncorhynchus mykiss

by Iván González-Chavarría, Francisco J. Roa, Felipe Sandoval, Carolina Muñoz-Flores, Tomas Kappes, Jannel Acosta, Romina Bertinat, Claudia Altamirano, Ariel Valenzuela, Oliberto Sánchez, Katherina Fernández and Jorge R. Toledo

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(19), 14685; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms241914685 - 28 Sep 2023

Viewed by 914

Abstract

The aquaculture industry is constantly increasing its fish production to provide enough products to maintain fish consumption worldwide. However, the increased production generates susceptibility to infectious diseases that cause losses of millions of dollars to the industry. Conventional treatments are based on antibiotics and antivirals to reduce the incidence of pathogens, but they have disadvantages, such as antibiotic resistance generation, antibiotic residues in fish, and environmental damage. Instead, functional foods with active compounds, especially antimicrobial peptides that allow the generation of prophylaxis against infections, provide an interesting alternative, but protection against gastric degradation is challenging. In this study, we evaluated a new immunomodulatory recombinant peptide, CATH–FLA, which is encapsulated in chitosan microparticles to avoid gastric degradation. The microparticles were prepared using a spray drying method. The peptide release from the microparticles was evaluated at gastric and intestinal pH, both in vitro and in vivo. Finally, the biological activity of the formulation was evaluated by measuring the expression of il-1β, il-8, ifn-γ, Ifn-α, and mx1 in the head kidney and intestinal tissues of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). The results showed that the chitosan microparticles protect the CATH–FLA recombinant peptide from gastric degradation, allowing its release in the intestinal portion of rainbow trout. The microparticle-protected CATH–FLA recombinant peptide increased the expression of il-1β, il-8, ifn-γ, ifn-α, and mx1 in the head kidney and intestine and improved the antiprotease activity in rainbow trout. These results suggest that the chitosan microparticle/CATH–FLA recombinant peptide could be a potential prophylactic alternative to conventional antibiotics for the treatment of infectious diseases in aquaculture. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fish Immunology 4.0)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 8444 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Bmp4 in Zebrafish Enhances Antiviral Innate Immunity through p38 MAPK (Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases) Pathway

by Lihui Chen, Shenjie Zhong, Yajun Wang, Xinyuan Wang, Zhenhui Liu and Guobin Hu

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(19), 14444; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms241914444 - 22 Sep 2023

Viewed by 1210

Abstract

Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are a group of structurally and functionally related signaling molecules that comprise a subfamily, belonging to the TGF-β superfamily. Most BMPs play roles in the regulation of embryonic development, stem cell differentiation, tumor growth and some cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Although evidence is emerging for the antiviral immunity of a few BMPs, more BMPs are needed to determine whether this function is universal. Here, we identified the zebrafish bmp4 ortholog, whose expression is up-regulated through challenge with grass carp reovirus (GCRV) or its mimic poly(I:C). The overexpression of bmp4 in epithelioma papulosum cyprini (EPC) cells significantly decreased the viral titer of GCRV-infected cells. Moreover, compared to wild-type zebrafish, viral load and mortality were significantly increased in both larvae and adults of bmp4^−/− mutant zebrafish infected with GCRV virus. We further demonstrated that Bmp4 promotes the phosphorylation of Tbk1 and Irf3 through the p38 MAPK pathway, thereby inducing the production of type I IFNs in response to virus infection. These data suggest that Bmp4 plays an important role in the host defense against virus infection. Our study expands the understanding of BMP protein functions and opens up new targets for the control of viral infection. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fish Immunology 4.0)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 2391 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Comparative Analysis on the Innate Immune Responses of Cirrhinus mrigala Challenged with Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Fusarium oxysporum

by Zaeema Usman, Zakia Kanwal, Asima Tayyeb, Iqra Noshair, Imran Haider, Naushad Ahmad and Suliman Yousef Alomar

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(15), 12392; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms241512392 - 03 Aug 2023

Viewed by 917

Abstract

Microbes are the most significant ubiquitous pathogens that cause serious infections in freshwater fish, leading to tremendous economic losses. The present study was designed to investigate the extent of changes in cytokine expression, hemato-biochemical parameters, and tissue histology of Cirrhinus mrigala (C. mrigala) challenged with Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) and Fusarium oxysporum (F. oxysporum). Fish were divided into three major groups: control, P. aeruginosa-challenged, and F. oxysporum-challenged. The infection in both challenge assays was allowed to progress until 7 days post infection. Upregulated expression of TNF-α and IL-1β was found in blood, gills, livers, and kidneys of the challenged fish. Significant differences were noted in hematological parameters of challenged fish. Alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and alkaline aminotransferase levels also showed significant differences in infected and control groups. An increase in serum albumin and globulin and a decrease in total protein were noted in infected groups as compared to the control group. Severe histological alterations were noted in gill, liver, and kidney tissues of the infected groups as compared to control. The order of histological alteration index for P. aeruginosa challenge was liver > kidney > gills, and for F. oxysporum challenge it was kidney > liver > gills. These changes in fish infected by P. aeruginosa and F. oxysporum can be used as an effective and subtle index to monitor the physiological and pathological conditions of fish. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fish Immunology 4.0)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

18 pages, 7009 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Molecular Characterization of Galectin-3 in Large Yellow Croaker Larimichthys crocea Functioning in Antibacterial Activity

by Yao Yang, Baolan Wu, Wanbo Li and Fang Han

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(14), 11539; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms241411539 - 16 Jul 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1351

Abstract

Galectins are proteins that play a crucial role in the innate immune response against pathogenic microorganisms. Previous studies have suggested that Galectin-3 could be a candidate gene for antibacterial immunity in the large yellow croaker Larimichthys crocea. In this study, we cloned the Galectin-3 gene in the large yellow croaker, and named it LcGal-3. The deduced amino acid sequence of LcGal-3 contains a carbohydrate recognition domain with two conserved β-galactoside binding motifs. Quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis revealed that LcGal-3 was expressed in all the organs/tissues that were tested, with the highest expression level in the gill. In Larimichthys crocea kidney cell lines, LcGal-3 protein was distributed in both the cytoplasm and nucleus. Moreover, we found that the expression of LcGal-3 was significantly upregulated upon infection with Pseudomonas plecoglossicida, as demonstrated by qRT-PCR analyses. We also purified the LcGal-3 protein that was expressed in prokaryotes, and found that it has the ability to agglutinate large yellow croaker red blood cells in a Ca²⁺-independent manner. The agglutination activity of LcGal-3 was inhibited by lipopolysaccharides (LPS) in a concentration-dependent manner, as shown in the sugar inhibition test. Additionally, LcGal-3 exhibited agglutination and antibacterial activities against three Gram-negative bacteria, including P. plecoglossicida, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, and Vibrio harveyi. Furthermore, we studied the agglutination mechanism of the LcGal-3 protein using blood coagulation tests with LcGal-3 deletion and point mutation proteins. Our results indicate that LcGal-3 protein plays a critical role in the innate immunity of the large yellow croaker, providing a basis for further studies on the immune mechanism and disease-resistant breeding in L. crocea and other marine fish. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fish Immunology 4.0)

► Show Figures

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Fish Immunology 4.0

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Related Special Issues

Published Papers (8 papers)

Research

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI