Molecular Insights Into the Effects of Global Warming and Pollutants on Crustacean Reproduction and Immunity: Protein–Pollutant Interactions via Molecular Docking

Abstract

Global warming and environmental pollutants represent escalating threats to crustaceans, with serious implications for aquaculture sustainability and ecosystem stability. This review synthesises and advances current understanding by integrating physiological, biochemical, and molecular evidence on the effects of elevated temperature and diverse contaminants—including endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), heavy metals (HMs), nanoparticles (NPs), pesticides, and microplastics—on crustacean reproduction and immunity. We summarise the molecular mechanisms underlying thermal- and pollutant-induced disruptions to gametogenesis, endocrine signalling, gonadal development, oxidative homeostasis, and innate immune pathways. To provide mechanistic insight into these processes, structure-based molecular docking analyses were applied in this review to evaluate the interactions of 18 environmentally relevant contaminants—including EDCs and pesticides known to impair crustacean health—with key reproductive regulatory nuclear receptors (EcR, RXR, ERR) across commercially important crustaceans including crabs, shrimps, and lobsters. In addition, interactions of HMs and NPs with these nuclear receptors, as well as with the detoxification protein metallothionein, were examined using the mud crab Scylla paramamosain as a representative model species. These structure-based evaluations suggest a potential molecular framework linking endocrine disruption, metal sequestration, and immunotoxicity in crustaceans. We further synthesise current knowledge on endogenous protective responses, including antioxidant defences and metallothionein (MT)-mediated detoxification, and assess potential mitigation strategies. Despite recent advances, critical knowledge gaps remain, particularly regarding the combined and synergistic effects of multiple environmental stressors. This review identifies key future research priorities, including multi-omics validation, epigenetic regulation, and ecological modelling, to support the development of biomarkers, inform environmental monitoring, and enhance aquaculture health management under ongoing global environmental change.