About this Research Topic
Entomopathogenic microorganisms (EPMs) including bacteria, fungi, nematodes, and viruses, are naturally occurring, and pathogenic to arthropods such as insects, mites, and ticks. Compared to synthetic chemical pesticides, EPMs play important roles in integrated pest management, and offer several advantages over other methods of pest management in that they are environmentally friendly. Understanding the survival strategies of EPMs against the host defence could provide new platform to improve the efficacy of biocontrol agents and application strategies to achieve the best control performance in field conditions.
EPMs can infect many arthropod pests in agriculturally important areas, worldwide. These pathogens enter the host via oral route, cuticle, or anus. In response to microbial invasion, the host adopts various immune defences, including innate, nutritional, and behavioural immunities. The immune response caused by an invading entomopathogen differs between hosts, and even within the same host, the immune response can differ depending on the invading entomopathogen. To overcome the host immune defence, EPMs have evolved several strategies. For instance, fungi produce secondary metabolites as immunosuppressors, or remodel their cell surface to evade host immune recognition. Thus, the combination of EPM/host becomes an ideal system to explore the comprehensive mode of action between invasion and defence, and to track the arms race between the host and pathogen.
In this Research Topic we are interested in understanding the survival mechanisms of entomopathogens to host immune defense. We welcome the submission of Original Research, Reviews, and Mini-Reviews related to the immunological interactions between the host and entomopathogen.
• Host immune responses to microbial invasion.
• Morphological and functional plasticity of entomopathogens.
• Physiological and genetic basis of entomopathogens.
• Multiple-omics analyses for the interactive responses.
• Novel research methods.
EPMs can infect many arthropod pests in agriculturally important areas, worldwide. These pathogens enter the host via oral route, cuticle, or anus. In response to microbial invasion, the host adopts various immune defences, including innate, nutritional, and behavioural immunities. The immune response caused by an invading entomopathogen differs between hosts, and even within the same host, the immune response can differ depending on the invading entomopathogen. To overcome the host immune defence, EPMs have evolved several strategies. For instance, fungi produce secondary metabolites as immunosuppressors, or remodel their cell surface to evade host immune recognition. Thus, the combination of EPM/host becomes an ideal system to explore the comprehensive mode of action between invasion and defence, and to track the arms race between the host and pathogen.
In this Research Topic we are interested in understanding the survival mechanisms of entomopathogens to host immune defense. We welcome the submission of Original Research, Reviews, and Mini-Reviews related to the immunological interactions between the host and entomopathogen.
• Host immune responses to microbial invasion.
• Morphological and functional plasticity of entomopathogens.
• Physiological and genetic basis of entomopathogens.
• Multiple-omics analyses for the interactive responses.
• Novel research methods.
Keywords: Entomopathogen, Biological control, Immune response, Host survival
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.
