About this Research Topic
Phylogenetic analyses are revealing that many components of the eukaryotic innate immune system have an ancient origin. Remarkable similarities exist in innate immune receptors, molecular complexes, signaling pathways, and mechanisms for pathogen responses by protists, fungi, plants, and animals. This Research Topic will focus on recent advances in our understanding of the origins of innate immunity, conditions that may have shaped its evolution in different species occupying various environments, and co-evolution between pathogen or commensal and host. Additionally, we aim at highlighting the implications of this work for emerging fields such as plant immune receptor signaling, as well as practical applications such as the identification of targets for pest control.
There has been an explosion of publications in recent years interrogating commonalities and differences in innate immunity between kingdoms and phyla, leading in sum to new hypotheses and even paradigm shifts with important broader implications. It is thus of great importance to link new discoveries across species to better understand the evolution of innate immune systems and engage scientists working across fields.
For these reasons, we welcome authors to submit manuscripts focusing on recent advances in understanding the evolution of innate immunity in Eukarya, and key implications. All manuscripts should map species addressed onto the Eukarya phylogenetic tree in order to orient the reader and assist in understanding across disciplines. We welcome the submission of Original Research, Review, Mini-Review, and Hypothesis and Theory articles covering, but not limited to, the following themes / sub-topics:
• Origins and/or evolution of innate immune receptors, complexes, pathways
• Conditions that may have shaped innate immunity in different kingdoms or phyla within a kingdom
• Co-evolution between pathogen or commensal and host
• Implications – how or why this research is of importance to existing or emerging fields, basic or applied research
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.
