Mechanisms of Melanin-Driven Protection Across Human Pathogenic Fungi and Insect Vectors
A special issue of Insects (ISSN 2075-4450).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2026 | Viewed by 21
Special Issue Editor
Interests: melanin; fungi; cell wall; malaria; gut microbiota
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Melanins are ubiquitous natural pigments synthesized by most living organisms across all biological kingdoms. These biopolymers are composed of indolic or phenolic monomers that could exhibit a yellow-to-reddish or brown-to-black pigmentation depending on the monomer that they are made of. Unlike other pigments, melanins share unique physicochemical properties that enable them to fulfill a myriad of biological roles, including thermotolerance, camouflage, immunity, and survival under stress. In fungi, melanins are components of the cell wall that provide protection against biotic and abiotic elements, potentially enhancing microbial. In insects, melanins are essential for wound healing, cuticular melanization, and innate immune defense. Despite their biological diversity, both systems shared a conserved mechanism of melanin biosynthesis, driven by phenoloxidases that oxidize catecholamines such as L-DOPA and dopamine.
This Special Issue seeks to bring together cutting-edge research that expands our understanding of the chemical, cellular, and evolutionary dimensions by which melanin confers protection in human pathogenic fungi and insect vectors. Some topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:
- The chemical structure and diversity of fungal and insect melanins.
- Cellular and molecular pathways driving melanin biosynthesis and deposition.
- Structural and functional roles of melanin in stress resistance, immune evasion, and antimicrobial defenses.
By highlighting mechanistic insights and cross-kingdom parallels, this Special Issue aims to foster dialog between medical mycology, entomology, and evolutionary biology, with the goal of inspiring novel strategies for disease management and eco-friendly vector control.
We invite original research articles, reviews, short communications, and perspectives that advance our understanding of melanin-driven protection in fungi and insects.
You may choose our Joint Special Issue in Journal of Fungi.
Dr. Emma Camacho
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. Insects 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.
Keywords
- melanin
- fungi
- human pathogen
- insect
- vector
- biopolymers
- antioxidant
- defense mechanism
- resistance
- thermoregulation
- innate immunity
- immune-evasion
- camouflage
- energy transduction
- mating
- catecholamines
- dopamine
- L-DOPA
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