Defying the Odds: Innate Immunity in Invertebrates Living in Deep-Sea Extreme Environments
A special issue of Marine Drugs (ISSN 1660-3397). This special issue belongs to the section "Marine Chemoecology for Drug Discovery".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2025 | Viewed by 39
Special Issue Editor
Interests: innate immunity; deep-sea biology; marine invertebrate transcriptomics; marine biotechnology
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The deep-sea is one of the most extreme and inhospitable environments on Earth, and yet many deep-sea creatures display unique adaptations to withstand the extreme hydrostatic pressure, complete darkness, and cold temperatures that affect their metabolism. In some areas such as hydrothermal vents or cold seeps, some creatures exhibit remarkable physiological changes to the presence of highly toxic compounds, including methane and hydrogen sulfide. Under such extreme conditions, however, invertebrates inhabiting these deep-sea ecosystems must have evolved survival strategies to overcome the problem of microbial threat and thus, the need for immunity. The interactions between microorganisms and host defense mechanisms is a decisive factor in the survival of marine invertebrates, as their reliance on an innate immune system, rather than adaptive immunity, is essential for rapidly recognizing and responding to pathogens in the microbe-rich deep-sea environment. The study of deep-sea invertebrates living in deep-sea environments, such as hydrothermal vents and cold seeps, may not only deliver insights into evolutionary immunology and the specialization of innate immune mechanisms to cope with extreme conditions but may also contribute to biotechnological and biomedical approaches.
In this Special Issue, we aim to discuss the unique features of deep-sea invertebrates’ innate immunity, aiming to understand the evolutionary, molecular, cellular, and ecological adaptations promoting survival in extreme habitats. As the host’s first line of defense, innate immunity key components are addressed, including pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), the prophenoloxidase (proPO) system, and cellular immune responses mediated by hemocytes. Moreover, the role of symbiotic microbial communities in deep-sea invertebrates’ innate immune responses are presumably essential, as these special cellular symbionts can modulate host immune responses, outcompete pathogens, and contribute to the overall health and resilience of marine invertebrates. Knowledge of these mechanisms in deep-sea species offers important lessons on how immune systems evolve under extreme deep-sea environmental conditions.
Dr. Raul Bettencourt
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- deep-sea ecosystems
- marine extreme environments
- deep-sea invertebrates
- invertebrate innate immunity
- evolutionary immunology
- secondary metabolites from deep sea invertebrates
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