A mini-review on cathelicidin in fish: Gene expression, immune function, and evolutionary insights

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Genomics
• Aquatic Biology

Background:

• Cathelicidins are cationic antimicrobial peptides essential for innate immunity.
• They combat pathogens with low risk of resistance, a key issue in aquaculture.
• Fish cathelicidin research is limited despite their presence across vertebrates.

Purpose of the Study:

• To comprehensively review teleost cathelicidins, including expression, activity, and function.
• To explore fish cathelicidin distribution and evolution via genomic analysis.
• To identify future research directions for fish cathelicidins.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of teleost cathelicidin expression, activity, and function.
• Genomic analysis of cathelicidin loci distribution and evolutionary history in fish.
• Synthesis of current knowledge and identification of research gaps.

Main Results:

• Conserved synteny of cathelicidin loci observed in cartilaginous and bony fishes.
• Evidence of lineage-specific expansions and chromosomal rearrangements in fish cathelicidins.
• Identified gaps in understanding fish cathelicidin diversity and function.

Conclusions:

• This review provides a valuable resource on fish cathelicidins for researchers.
• Genomic analysis reveals evolutionary insights into fish cathelicidin gene families.
• Further research is needed to fully understand cathelicidin functions and applications in aquaculture.