Insect Immunogenomics

A special issue of Insects (ISSN 2075-4450). This special issue belongs to the section "Insect Molecular Biology and Genomics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 December 2025 | Viewed by 594

Special Issue Editors

Host–Pathogen Interaction Mechanism and Precision Medicine Team, National & Local United Engineering Laboratory of Natural Biotoxin, Apitherapy Research Institute, College of Bee Science and Biomedicine, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
Interests: host-pathogen/parasite interaction; non-coding RNA; epigenetics; transgene; omics; precision medicine
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Guest Editor
Host–Pathogen Interaction Mechanism and Precision Medicine Team, National & Local United Engineering Laboratory of Natural Biotoxin, Apitherapy Research Institute, College of Bee Science and Biomedicine, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
Interests: host–pathogen/parasite interaction; circadian clock; insect physiology; gene editing; omics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Honeybee Research Institute, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, China
Interests: host–parasite evolution; immunity; population genetic; functional genetics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Insects, the most diverse group of organisms, possess highly sophisticated immune systems that enable them to combat pathogens and adapt to environmental challenges. Recent advances in genomics and bioinformatics have revolutionized our understanding of insect immunity, uncovering complex immune mechanisms and their evolutionary dynamics. This research area is critical for addressing global challenges, such as vector-borne diseases, agricultural pest control, and biodiversity conservation.

The Special Issue aims to highlight cutting-edge research in insect immunogenomics. We invite submissions exploring insect immune gene evolution, host–pathogen interactions, environmental impacts on immunity, and applications in insect disease control and biotechnology. We welcome original research, reviews, and perspectives that advance this field. Together we explore the fascinating world of insect immunogenomics!

Suggested themes include the following:

  • Genomic and transcriptomic insights into insect immune systems;
  • Evolutionary immunogenomics and comparative analyses;
  • Functional genomics of immune responses;
  • Insect–pathogen interactions and vector immunity;
  • Environmental influences on immune gene expression.

Dr. Rui Guo
Dr. Jianfeng Qiu
Dr. Qiang Huang
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 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

  • insect immunity
  • genomics
  • host–pathogen interactions
  • functional genomics
  • omics

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

15 pages, 2642 KB  
Article
Transcriptomic Plasticity in the Small Hive Beetle (Aethina tumida) Under Heat Stress
by Junfeng Liu, Yuxiang Wang, Yuzhu He, Keyue Jin, Xiaojuan Wan, Danwei Chen, Tailin Zhong, Xujiang He and Guoyun Wu
Insects 2025, 16(8), 868; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects16080868 - 21 Aug 2025
Viewed by 416
Abstract
Global warming is increasing in severity, affecting insects across various biological species. This study investigated the heat resistance ability of the small hive beetle (Aethina tumida) by studying gene expression under heat stress and showed that A. tumida exhibits strong heat [...] Read more.
Global warming is increasing in severity, affecting insects across various biological species. This study investigated the heat resistance ability of the small hive beetle (Aethina tumida) by studying gene expression under heat stress and showed that A. tumida exhibits strong heat resistance and transcriptomic plasticity under heat stress. RNA-seq analysis identified 547, 1127, and 866 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) at 38 °C, 42 °C, and 46 °C, respectively, compared to 25 °C. Among them, 16, 25, and 5 heat shock protein (HSP) genes were differentially expressed under the three heat stress conditions. Specifically, one HSP70 gene (Loc109602670) was consistently upregulated across all temperatures. Furthermore, the lysosome-related pathway was the top enriched pathway under heat treatments, with key genes such as lysosomal aspartic protease-like, cathepsin L1-like, and lipase 3-like significantly upregulated. Overall, these findings suggest that A. tumida exhibits transcriptomic plasticity under sublethal heat stress, and key HSP genes with genes from lysosome pathways are likely to contribute to heat resistance. This study provides novel insights into the molecular basis of thermotolerance in A. tumida, contributing to our understanding of how this invasive pest adapts to high-temperature environments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Insect Immunogenomics)
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