Special Issue: Insects, Nematodes, and Their Symbiotic Bacteria

Abstract

This special issue contains articles that add to the ever-expanding toolbox of insect pathogenic nematodes (entomopathogenic nematodes; EPNs) as well articles that provide new insights into the mutualistic interaction between EPNs and their hosts. The study of natural infection models such as EPNs allows detailed insight into micro- and macro-evolutionary dynamics of innate immune reactions, including known but also emerging branches of innate immunity. Additional new insights into the kinetics of EPN infections are gained by increased spatiotemporal resolution of advanced transcriptome studies and live imaging.

Keywords

• insect immunity
• entomopathogenic nematodes
• immunity
• symbiotic bacteria
• <i>Heterorhabditis</i>
• <i>Steinernema</i>