In multi-cellular organisms, programmed cell death occurs in response to developmental deficiency, environmental stimulus, physiological damage, and many other cues. The fluctuant physicochemical factors, enriched pathogenic bacteria, and unbalanced nutrition supply from the water environment may propose significant influences on aquatic animals. Aquatic animals develop a multi-layered immune system to protect themselves against various challenges, and fish represents the early vertebrate to develop both innate and adaptive immunity. Recent studies also identify the important roles of programmed cell death in aquatic animals’ self-protection under multiple circumstances. Besides the most widely studied apoptosis, several new types of programmed cell death have been recently reported, including autophagy, pyroptosis, necroptosis, and ferroptosis. All these programmed cell death are coordinated with the immune system to maintain tissue homeostasis in aquatic animals.The underlying regulatory mechanism of programmed cell death in aquatic animals is still largely unknown. This Special Issue aims to highlight the recent discoveries of programmed cell death in aquatic animals and to improve the understanding of its regulatory roles under diverse circumstances, which will contribute to developing targeted drugs or functional feed additives for the sustainable development of the aquaculture industry.Original Research and Review articles focusing on, but not limited to, the following subtopics are welcomed:1) New proteins and examples of programmed cell death in aquatic animals;2) Co-coordinating roles of programmed cell death on immune responses in aquatic animals under diverse circumstances;3) Exploring targeted drugs and functional nutrients to alleviate inflammation and enhance immunity in aquatic animals.
In multi-cellular organisms, programmed cell death occurs in response to developmental deficiency, environmental stimulus, physiological damage, and many other cues. The fluctuant physicochemical factors, enriched pathogenic bacteria, and unbalanced nutrition supply from the water environment may propose significant influences on aquatic animals. Aquatic animals develop a multi-layered immune system to protect themselves against various challenges, and fish represents the early vertebrate to develop both innate and adaptive immunity. Recent studies also identify the important roles of programmed cell death in aquatic animals’ self-protection under multiple circumstances. Besides the most widely studied apoptosis, several new types of programmed cell death have been recently reported, including autophagy, pyroptosis, necroptosis, and ferroptosis. All these programmed cell death are coordinated with the immune system to maintain tissue homeostasis in aquatic animals.The underlying regulatory mechanism of programmed cell death in aquatic animals is still largely unknown. This Special Issue aims to highlight the recent discoveries of programmed cell death in aquatic animals and to improve the understanding of its regulatory roles under diverse circumstances, which will contribute to developing targeted drugs or functional feed additives for the sustainable development of the aquaculture industry.Original Research and Review articles focusing on, but not limited to, the following subtopics are welcomed:1) New proteins and examples of programmed cell death in aquatic animals;2) Co-coordinating roles of programmed cell death on immune responses in aquatic animals under diverse circumstances;3) Exploring targeted drugs and functional nutrients to alleviate inflammation and enhance immunity in aquatic animals.