Intrinsic Immunity vs. Viral Antagonism: Which One Bites the Dust?
A special issue of Viruses (ISSN 1999-4915). This special issue belongs to the section "Viral Immunology, Vaccines, and Antivirals".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2026 | Viewed by 37
Special Issue Editors
Interests: viral–host interplay; evolutionary arms race; species barriers
Interests: retrovirology; host–virus interactions; membrane trafficking
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
This Special Issue invites mechanistic studies on intrinsic immunity and viral antagonism during the viral replication cycle. We welcome papers that define the balance between these processes at membranes, in the cytoplasm, and in the nucleus, and their consequences for fusion and entry, intracellular trafficking, genome delivery, gene expression, assembly, release, and cell-to-cell spread. Areas of interest include ubiquitin and trafficking pathways, envelope glycoprotein downregulation, capsid sensing, nucleic acid editing and metabolism, epigenetic silencing, and interferon-inducible pathways.
We particularly invite work on APOBEC3, TRIM family members, BST-2/tetherin, SAMHD1, MX2, SERINC5, MARCH8, IFITMs, GBP5, Smc5/6, and related factors, together with viral antagonists such as Vif, Vpu, Nef, Vpx, HBx, and counterparts in other viruses. Comparative and evolutionary analyses that clarify species barriers and zoonotic potential are encouraged. Suitable approaches range from standard methods (transfection, infection/transduction, reporter assays, protein expression, and mutagenesis) to advanced techniques, including CRISPR screening and genome editing, proteomics, structural analyses, single-cell and spatial analyses, live-cell imaging, and organoid systems.
Original research, reviews, short communications, and methods papers are welcome.
Dr. Akatsuki Saito
Dr. Kenzo Tokunaga
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 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. Viruses 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
- host restriction factors
- viral antagonists
- replication cycle
- interferon-inducible pathways
- ubiquitination
- membrane trafficking
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.
