Advances in the axenic isolation methods of Blastocystis sp. and their applications
Xuefang Mei,
Lai Wei,
Changwei Su,
Zhenke Yang,
Xiaowei Tian,
Zhenchao Zhang,
Shuai Wang
Affiliations
Xuefang Mei
Xinxiang Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Biology, Department of Pathogenic Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, PR China
Lai Wei
Xinxiang Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Biology, Department of Pathogenic Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, PR China
Changwei Su
Xinxiang Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Biology, Department of Pathogenic Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, PR China
Zhenke Yang
Xinxiang Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Biology, Department of Pathogenic Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, PR China
Xiaowei Tian
Xinxiang Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Biology, Department of Pathogenic Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, PR China
Zhenchao Zhang
Xinxiang Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Biology, Department of Pathogenic Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, PR China
Xinxiang Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Biology, Department of Pathogenic Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, PR China
Blastocystis sp. is a prevalent protistan parasite found globally in the gastrointestinal tract of humans and various animals. This review aims to elucidate the advancements in research on axenic isolation techniques for Blastocystis sp. and their diverse applications. Axenic isolation, involving the culture and isolation of Blastocystis sp. free from any other organisms, necessitates the application of specific media and a series of axenic treatment methods. These methods encompass antibiotic treatment, monoclonal culture, differential centrifugation, density gradient separation, micromanipulation and the combined use of culture media. Critical factors influencing axenic isolation effectiveness include medium composition, culture temperature, medium characteristics, antibiotic type and dosage and the subtype (ST) of Blastocystis sp. Applications of axenic isolation encompass exploring pathogenicity, karyotype and ST analysis, immunoassay, characterization of surface chemical structure and lipid composition and understanding drug treatment effects. This review serves as a valuable reference for clinicians and scientists in selecting appropriate axenic isolation methods.
