Toxic effects of emerging pollutants on mucosal organs of teleost fish: A review focusing on mucosal microbiota, physical barrier and immune barrier.

The urgency of emerging pollutants driven by human activities presents an increasing threat to the health of fish. The mucosal system, serving as a primary barrier against environmental pollutants, has emerged as a central focus in toxicological research. Alterations in the mucosal microbiota can impact health at both local and systemic levels. This review explores the toxic effects of emerging pollutants on the mucosal immunity of teleost fish, reflects on the reasons behind the limited focus on adaptive immunity studies, and highlights changes in microbial composition, gene expression, histology, and overall mucosal organ function. Furthermore, we summarize the mechanisms through which these pollutants disrupt the mucosal barriers of teleosts, emphasizing interactions between the mucosal microbiota, physical barriers, and immune defenses. The relevant methodologies and potential solutions to the current challenges have been summarized. While current research predominantly centers on the intestines and gills, further studies are needed to investigate the toxic effects of emerging pollutants on other mucosal organs and to elucidate how microbiota influence host health through neuro-immune communication. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of mucosal immunity, serving as a theoretical foundation for the assessment of related ecological risks.

• Publication year

  2025

• Venue

  Science of the Total Environment

• Publication date

  2025-04-16

• Fields of study

  Biology, Medicine, Environmental Science

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.179431PMID 40245518
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar, PubMed

• No claims are published for this paper.

• No concepts are published for this paper.

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