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Journals
Microorganisms
Special Issues
Evolution and Genetic Diversity of Gut Protozoan Parasites 2.0
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Evolution and Genetic Diversity of Gut Protozoan Parasites 2.0

A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Parasitology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2023) | Viewed by 2413

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Christen Rune Stensvold

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Bacteria, Parasites and Fungi, Statens Serum Institut, 5 Artillerivej, 2300 Copenhagen, Denmark
Interests: parasite ecology; gut microbiome; host specificity; hygiene theory; one health
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Anastasios D. Tsaousis

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratory of Molecular and Evolutionary Parasitology, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Giles Lane, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NJ, UK
Interests: parasite cellular adaptations; organellar evolution; gut microbiome; host–parasite interactions; eukaryome
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue is a continuation of our 2022 Special Issue "Genetic Diversity and Evolution of Gut Protozoan Parasites".

With new advances in wet and dry laboratory methods, insight into the role of gut parasites in health and disease is rapidly evolving. In this Special Issue, we welcome articles (original articles and reviews) that significantly contribute data on the genetic diversity and evolution of gut protozoan parasites. We are particularly interested in articles that use or introduce novel technologies and/or approaches to investigate these matters. We are also interested in research investigating the host specificity and geographical distribution of these parasites. Research dealing with how the extent of genetic diversity reflects host adaptation will receive special priority. Moreover, we specifically call for research that deals with gut parasites in a gut microbiome context.

We use the “broad” definition of protozoan parasites, and we therefore also welcome articles on, e.g., Blastocystis and intestinal microsporidia.

Dr. Christen Rune Stensvold
Dr. Anastasios D. Tsaousis
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Microorganisms is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • genetic diversity
  • evolution
  • ecology
  • DNA
  • intestinal parasite
  • phylogeny
  • host specificity

Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

17 pages, 2585 KiB  
Article
Lipid Accumulation in Blastocystis Increases Cell Damage in Co-Cultured Cells
by Chen-Chieh Liao, Chun-Hsien Chen, Jyh-Wei Shin, Wei-Chen Lin, Chien-Chin Chen and Chun-Ting Chu
Microorganisms 2023, 11(6), 1582; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11061582 - 14 Jun 2023
Viewed by 1657
Abstract
Blastocystis hominis is an intestinal protozoan that is often neglected, despite causing abdominal pain and diarrhea. Previous research has demonstrated that lipids can be synthesized by B. hominis or can accumulate in growth medium, but their function and mechanisms in the pathogenesis of [...] Read more.
Blastocystis hominis is an intestinal protozoan that is often neglected, despite causing abdominal pain and diarrhea. Previous research has demonstrated that lipids can be synthesized by B. hominis or can accumulate in growth medium, but their function and mechanisms in the pathogenesis of Blastocystis remain unclear. Our study found that lipid-rich Blastocystis ST7-B can increase inflammation and disrupt Caco-2 cells more than the same parasite without the lipovenoes supplement. Additionally, the cysteine protease of Blastocystis, a virulence factor, is upregulated and has higher activity in lipid-rich Blastocystis. In order to better understand the effects of lipids on Blastocystis pathogenesis, we treated lipid-lowering pravastatin during Blastocystis ST7-B culturing with a lipovenoes supplement, which decreased the lipid levels of the Blastocystis and reduced the Blastocystis-induced inflammation and cell disruption of Caco-2 cells. We also analyzed the fatty acid composition and possible synthesis pathway in Blastocystis ST7-B, finding significantly higher ratios of arachidonic acid, oleic acid, and palmitic acid than in the other lipid components in lipid-rich Blastocystis ST7-B. These results suggest that lipids play a significant role in the pathogenesis of Blastocystis and provide important information on the molecular mechanisms of and potential treatments for Blastocystis infection. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Evolution and Genetic Diversity of Gut Protozoan Parasites 2.0)
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