Interactions Between Microbes and the Host Immune System Elucidated in Zebrafish Models

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Background

Life on earth would not exist without microbes, however, numerous microbes cause major diseases in the animal kingdom. Studies of infectious diseases focus on better understanding the molecular basis of the interaction between pathogens and their host, which is essential for the development of novel antimicrobial therapies. Other studies on commensals and the microbiome will help address important questions about their role in health and disease, such as how they influence immune maturation, acquisition of nutrients, and neurological functions. Animal research models have been instrumental in unravelling the molecular basis of intricate host-microbe interactions in humans and helped address many clinically relevant questions driving progress in biomedical research. The vertebrate zebrafish (Danio rerio) is a relatively recent addition to the list of biomedical animal models. It has become an important model for drug screening, cancer, and stem cell research, as well as an immunological model with demonstrated impact on the study of host-microbe interactions, whether pathogenic or beneficial.

The zebrafish is now swimming in animal facilities in many research laboratories and has contributed to our understanding of interactions of bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites with the host immune system. The similarities between the zebrafish and human immune system - including the production of cytokines and interferons, complement activation, acute phase proteins, immune cell activation and innate immune mechanisms like autophagy - have been instrumental for the success of this small freshwater fish as a model to study host-microbe interactions. Particularly the optically transparent zebrafish larvae have driven non-invasive imaging studies allowing direct visualization of the interaction between microbes and host cells at the intracellular level. These achievements have been made possible by large efforts from the zebrafish community to develop new technologies, tools, and a vast array of genetically edited zebrafish such as transgenic fish with immune cells or subcellular markers tagged with fluorescent reporter proteins. The zebrafish is an exciting and encouraging model to better understand the dynamics and function of vertebrate microbiomes in health and disease, and to help further advance our knowledge and push new discoveries of the biology of fish and human infectious diseases aimed at developing efficient therapies to counteract pathogens.

In this Research Topic, we welcome submission of all article types welcomed within the journal (original research, methods, reviews, mini reviews, and perspective articles) describing any research involving zebrafish and their interaction with bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites, with an emphasis on the role of the host immune system. Submission can cover any of the following:

• Pathogenic interactions involving microbes relevant for human infectious diseases
• Commensal interactions and microbiome studies
• The use of adult or larval models of host-microbe interactions
• Vaccination or immunomodulatory treatments
• Development of new models or technological advances

Keywords: Zebrafish, Host-Microbe Interaction, Immune Response, Infectious Diseases, Microbiome, Innate Immune Response

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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