Molecular Mechanism of Fish Immune Response to Pathogens

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue aims to explore the molecular underpinnings of fish immune responses to pathogens, addressing critical gaps in the understanding of aquatic immunology and its applications in aquaculture and disease management. The scope encompasses studies on pathogen recognition mechanisms such as pattern recognition receptors including TLRs and NLRs, signaling pathways such as cytokine networks and NF-κB activation, and effector mechanisms including antimicrobial peptide production and phagocytosis that define fish immunity. By integrating comparative insights from plant and mammalian systems, such as stress adaptation pathways and transcriptomic regulation, the issue seeks to advance the knowledge of evolutionarily conserved and species-specific immune strategies in fish. The Special Issue situates itself within the broader literature by bridging gaps between fundamental immunological research and applied aquaculture challenges. It emphasizes cross-disciplinary parallels, such as the role of epigenetic modifications in immune memory and the application of omics technologies, including transcriptomics, proteomics, and single-cell omics, to map pathogen–host interactions. Contributions will focus on mechanistic discoveries like immune cell differentiation and apoptosis regulation, as well as translational innovations such as vaccine development and immunostimulant design. By synthesizing molecular insights with ecological and aquaculture priorities, this issue aims to catalyze targeted research on sustainable disease control in fisheries. We invite researchers to submit their work to this Special Issue on “Molecular Mechanism of Fish Immune Response to Pathogens” in Fishes, fostering a dynamic frontier in comparative immunology and biotechnology.

Prof. Dr. Qiuning Liu
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 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. Fishes is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2600 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.

• fish
• immune response
• pathogens
• omics
• molecular mechanism