Mechanisms of Neuroendocrine Response to Stress in Insects
A special issue of Biology (ISSN 2079-7737). This special issue belongs to the section "Biochemistry and Molecular Biology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2026 | Viewed by 116
Special Issue Editor
2. Department of Biochemistry, Nutrition and Health Promotion, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS 39762, USA
Interests: toxicology; insect-plant interaction; xenobiotic metabolism
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Insects inhabit an extraordinary range of ecological niches and are continuously challenged by diverse biotic and abiotic stressors, including pathogens, parasites, predators, temperature extremes, desiccation, hypoxia, and anthropogenic chemicals. Their ability to survive and thrive under these pressures depends on highly integrated neuroendocrine mechanisms that coordinate physiological, behavioral, and metabolic responses. Over the past decade, advances in molecular biology, neurogenetics, and comparative physiology have revealed that insect neuroendocrine systems—particularly those involving neuropeptides, biogenic amines, and hormonal axes such as the insulin/IGF, ecdysteroid, and juvenile hormone pathways—play central roles in stress detection, signaling, and adaptation.
Despite these advances, the mechanistic links between environmental stressors and neuroendocrine regulation remain incompletely understood. Key questions persist regarding how insects sense and integrate multiple stress cues; how neuroendocrine circuits orchestrate cross‑talk between immunity, metabolism, and development; and how these pathways evolve across taxa with distinct ecological strategies. Understanding these processes is increasingly urgent as climate change, habitat alteration, and globalized agriculture intensify stress exposure and reshape insect population dynamics.
This Special Issue aims to bring together cutting‑edge research that elucidates the molecular, cellular, and systemic mechanisms underlying neuroendocrine regulation of stress responses in insects. We welcome studies spanning model and non‑model species, employing approaches from genomics and neurophysiology to behavioral ecology and evolutionary biology. By integrating diverse perspectives, this collection seeks to provide a holistic understanding of how neuroendocrine systems mediate resilience to environmental challenges, with implications for insect conservation, pest management, and the broader study of stress biology.
Prof. Dr. Natraj Krishnan
Guest Editor
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
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. Biology is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). 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
- neuroendocrine signaling
- insect stress physiology
- neuropeptides and hormones
- biotic and abiotic stress
- stress response pathways
- environmental adaptation
- insect neurobiology
- hormonal regulation
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
