by Christen Rune Stensvold in Blastocystis Parasite Blog
What are your thoughts on Blastocystis carriage and age? Please comment!... Read more »
Forsell J, Granlund M, Samuelsson L, Koskiniemi S, Edebro H, & Evengård B. (2016) High occurrence of Blastocystis sp. subtypes 1-3 and Giardia intestinalis assemblage B among patients in Zanzibar, Tanzania. Parasites , 9(1), 370. PMID: 27356981
Poulsen CS, Efunshile AM, Nelson JA, & Stensvold CR. (2016) Epidemiological Aspects of Blastocystis Colonization in Children in Ilero, Nigeria. The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene, 95(1), 175-9. PMID: 27139454
by Christen Rune Stensvold in Blastocystis Parasite Blog
The May entry of "This Month in Blastocystis Research" focusses especially on the increasing interest in Blastocystis in a gut microbiota context. ... Read more »
Audebert C, Even G, Cian A, Blastocystis Investigation Group, Loywick A, Merlin S, Viscogliosi E, & Chabé M. (2016) Colonization with the enteric protozoa Blastocystis is associated with increased diversity of human gut bacterial microbiota. Scientific reports, 25255. PMID: 27147260
Andersen LO, Bonde I, Nielsen HB, & Stensvold CR. (2015) A retrospective metagenomics approach to studying Blastocystis. FEMS microbiology ecology, 91(7). PMID: 26130823
Stensvold CR, & Clark CG. (2016) Current status of Blastocystis: A personal view. Parasitology international. PMID: 27247124
O'Brien Andersen L, Karim AB, Roager HM, Vigsnæs LK, Krogfelt KA, Licht TR, & Stensvold CR. (2016) Associations between common intestinal parasites and bacteria in humans as revealed by qPCR. European journal of clinical microbiology . PMID: 27230509
Ramírez JD, Sánchez A, Hernández C, Flórez C, Bernal MC, Giraldo JC, Reyes P, López MC, García L, Cooper PJ.... (2016) Geographic distribution of human Blastocystis subtypes in South America. Infection, genetics and evolution : journal of molecular epidemiology and evolutionary genetics in infectious diseases, 32-5. PMID: 27034056
by Christen Rune Stensvold in Blastocystis Parasite Blog
The February entry in the "This Month in Blastocystis Research" blog post series is all on Blastocystis and chronic urticaria (hives).... Read more »
Armentia A, Méndez J, Gómez A, Sanchís E, Fernández A, de la Fuente R, & Sánchez P. (1993) Urticaria by Blastocystis hominis. Successful treatment with paromomycin. Allergologia et immunopathologia, 21(4), 149-51. PMID: 8237719
Casero, R., Mongi, F., Sánchez, A., & Ramírez, J. (2015) Blastocystis and urticaria: Examination of subtypes and morphotypes in an unusual clinical manifestation. Acta Tropica, 156-161. DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2015.05.004
Kolkhir P, Balakirski G, Merk HF, Olisova O, & Maurer M. (2016) Chronic spontaneous urticaria and internal parasites - a systematic review. Allergy, 71(3), 308-22. PMID: 26648083
Lepczyńska M, Chen WC, & Dzika E. (2016) Mysterious chronic urticaria caused by Blastocystis spp.?. International journal of dermatology, 55(3), 259-66. PMID: 26469206
Vogelberg C, Stensvold CR, Monecke S, Ditzen A, Stopsack K, Heinrich-Gräfe U, & Pöhlmann C. (2010) Blastocystis sp. subtype 2 detection during recurrence of gastrointestinal and urticarial symptoms. Parasitology international, 59(3), 469-71. PMID: 20363362
by Christen Rune Stensvold in Blastocystis Parasite Blog
The first post in the This Month in Blastocystis Research series in 2016 is about Blastocystis epidemiology in India (including IBS patients), views on treatment, and Blastocystis in non-human primates.... Read more »
Das R, Khalil S, Mirdha BR, Makharia GK, Dattagupta S, & Chaudhry R. (2016) Molecular Characterization and Subtyping of Blastocystis Species in Irritable Bowel Syndrome Patients from North India. PloS one, 11(1). PMID: 26784888
Pandey PK, Verma P, Marathe N, Shetty S, Bavdekar A, Patole MS, Stensvold CR, & Shouche YS. (2015) Prevalence and subtype analysis of Blastocystis in healthy Indian individuals. Infection, genetics and evolution : journal of molecular epidemiology and evolutionary genetics in infectious diseases, 296-9. PMID: 25701123
Kurt Ö, Doğruman Al F, & Tanyüksel M. (2016) Eradication of Blastocystis in humans: Really necessary for all?. Parasitology international. PMID: 26780545
Zanzani SA, Gazzonis AL, Epis S, & Manfredi MT. (2016) Study of the gastrointestinal parasitic fauna of captive non-human primates (Macaca fascicularis). Parasitology research, 115(1), 307-12. PMID: 26374536
Yoshikawa H, Wu Z, Kimata I, Iseki M, Ali IK, Hossain MB, Zaman V, Haque R, & Takahashi Y. (2004) Polymerase chain reaction-based genotype classification among human Blastocystis hominis populations isolated from different countries. Parasitology research, 92(1), 22-9. PMID: 14598169
by Christen Rune Stensvold in Blastocystis Parasite Blog
Practically all Blastocystis research has focussed on identifying a role for the parasite in disease. Meanwhile, no one has really tried to looked into what Blastocystis may tell us about human health. Together with partner labs, our lab has produced data suggesting that Blastocystis carriage is extremely common, and probably also extremely long lasting. We have also shown that the parasite is associated with certain gut microbial communities and that it is more common in healthy individuals tha........ Read more »
Andersen LO, & Stensvold CR. (2015) Blastocystis in Health and Disease-Are We Moving from a Clinical to a Public Health Perspective?. Journal of clinical microbiology. PMID: 26677249
by Christen Rune Stensvold in Blastocystis Parasite Blog
In the 'This Month' Series, I highlight three surveys on Blastocystis from the Persian Gulf (Qatar, UAE, and Iran), and highlight issues that may be associated with epidemiolocial studies. ... Read more »
Abu-Madi M, Aly M, Behnke JM, Clark CG, & Balkhy H. (2015) The distribution of Blastocystis subtypes in isolates from Qatar. Parasites , 465. PMID: 26384209
AbuOdeh R, Ezzedine S, Samie A, Stensvold CR, & ElBakri A. (2015) Prevalence and subtype distribution of Blastocystis in healthy individuals in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. Infection, genetics and evolution : journal of molecular epidemiology and evolutionary genetics in infectious diseases. PMID: 26611823
Khoshnood S, Rafiei A, Saki J, & Alizadeh K. (2015) Prevalence and Genotype Characterization of Blastocystis hominis Among the Baghmalek People in Southwestern Iran in 2013 - 2014. Jundishapur journal of microbiology, 8(10). PMID: 26587213
by Christen Rune Stensvold in Blastocystis Parasite Blog
Slightly delayed, the "This Month" post is mainly on Blastocystis survyes, detection and host specificity.... Read more »
Abu-Madi M, Aly M, Behnke JM, Clark CG, & Balkhy H. (2015) The distribution of Blastocystis subtypes in isolates from Qatar. Parasites , 465. PMID: 26384209
Osman M, Bories J, El Safadi D, Poirel MT, Gantois N, Benamrouz-Vanneste S, Delhaes L, Hugonnard M, Certad G, Zenner L.... (2015) Prevalence and genetic diversity of the intestinal parasites Blastocystis sp. and Cryptosporidium spp. in household dogs in France and evaluation of zoonotic transmission risk. Veterinary parasitology. PMID: 26395822
Ragavan, N., Kumar, S., Chye, T., Mahadeva, S., & Shiaw-Hooi, H. (2015) Blastocystis sp. in Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) - Detection in Stool Aspirates during Colonoscopy. PLOS ONE, 10(9). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0121173
Stensvold CR, Suresh GK, Tan KS, Thompson RC, Traub RJ, Viscogliosi E, Yoshikawa H, & Clark CG. (2007) Terminology for Blastocystis subtypes--a consensus. Trends in parasitology, 23(3), 93-6. PMID: 17241816
Scanlan PD, Stensvold CR, & Cotter PD. (2015) Development and Application of a Blastocystis Subtype-Specific PCR Assay Reveals that Mixed-Subtype Infections Are Common in a Healthy Human Population. Applied and environmental microbiology, 81(12), 4071-6. PMID: 25841010
Wang W, Cuttell L, Bielefeldt-Ohmann H, Inpankaew T, Owen H, & Traub RJ. (2013) Diversity of Blastocystis subtypes in dogs in different geographical settings. Parasites , 215. PMID: 23883734
by Christen Rune Stensvold in Blastocystis Parasite Blog
When is a parasite not a parasite? Where lies the border between parasites and mutalists? Are we letting some of our common colonisers down by mere predjudice? Find out in This Month of Blastocystis Research (AUG 2015).... Read more »
Andersen LO, Bonde I, Nielsen HB, & Stensvold CR. (2015) A retrospective metagenomics approach to studying Blastocystis. FEMS microbiology ecology, 91(7). PMID: 26130823
Lukeš J, Stensvold CR, Jirků-Pomajbíková K, & Wegener Parfrey L. (2015) Are Human Intestinal Eukaryotes Beneficial or Commensals?. PLoS pathogens, 11(8). PMID: 26270819
Parfrey LW, Walters WA, & Knight R. (2011) Microbial eukaryotes in the human microbiome: ecology, evolution, and future directions. Frontiers in microbiology, 153. PMID: 21808637
Scanlan PD, Stensvold CR, Rajilić-Stojanović M, Heilig HG, De Vos WM, O'Toole PW, & Cotter PD. (2014) The microbial eukaryote Blastocystis is a prevalent and diverse member of the healthy human gut microbiota. FEMS microbiology ecology, 90(1), 326-30. PMID: 25077936
by Christen Rune Stensvold in Blastocystis Parasite Blog
A post on trending Blastocystis research and on advances in the discoveries of plant extracts with anti-Blastocystis activity.... Read more »
Scanlan PD, Stensvold CR, Rajilić-Stojanović M, Heilig HG, De Vos WM, O'Toole PW, & Cotter PD. (2014) The microbial eukaryote Blastocystis is a prevalent and diverse member of the healthy human gut microbiota. FEMS microbiology ecology, 90(1), 326-30. PMID: 25077936
Bremer Christensen C, Soelberg J, Stensvold CR, & Jäger AK. (2015) Activity of medicinal plants from Ghana against the parasitic gut protist Blastocystis. Journal of ethnopharmacology. PMID: 25773490
Scanlan PD, Stensvold CR, & Cotter PD. (2015) Development and application of Blastocystis subtype-specific PCR reveals that mixed subtype infections are common in a healthy human population. Applied and environmental microbiology. PMID: 25841010
by Lauren Richardson in PLOS Biologue
In recent decades the burden of malaria has greatly decreased. This is the result of both successful public health initiatives and widespread use of antimalarial therapeutics. Artemisinins are a family of drugs that have been incredibly effective against Plasmodium falciparum … Continue reading »... Read more »
Dogovski, C., Xie, S., Burgio, G., Bridgford, J., Mok, S., McCaw, J., Chotivanich, K., Kenny, S., Gnädig, N., Straimer, J.... (2015) Targeting the Cell Stress Response of Plasmodium falciparum to Overcome Artemisinin Resistance. PLOS Biology, 13(4). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.1002132
by GrrlScientist in Maniraptora
SUMMARY: In this fascinating video, Professor Ros Rickaby from Oxford chats with Professor Simon Conway-Morris at Cambridge about how Earth’s changing chemistry has affected evolution, and how this can sometimes lead to evolutionary convergence... Read more »
Williams R. J. P. (1981) The Bakerian Lecture, 1981: Natural Selection of the Chemical Elements. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 213(1193), 361-397. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.1981.0071
Cook L. M., I. J. Saccheri, & J. Mallet. (2012) Selective bird predation on the peppered moth: the last experiment of Michael Majerus. Biology Letters, 8(4), 609-612. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2011.1136
Dhingra A., & H. Daniell. (2004) Enhanced translation of a chloroplast-expressed RbcS gene restores small subunit levels and photosynthesis in nuclear RbcS antisense plants. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 101(16), 6315-6320. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0400981101
by GrrlScientist in Maniraptora
SUMMARY: A single-celled organism will perform a piano duet with a computer musician at Plymouth University on 1 March 2015. The public is invited. ... Read more »
Nakagaki Toshiyuki, Yamada Hiroyasu, & Tóth Ágota. (2000) Intelligence: Maze-solving by an amoeboid organism. Nature, 407(470). DOI: 10.1038/35035159
Saigusa Tetsu, Toshiyuki Nakagaki, & Yoshiki Kuramoto. (2008) Amoebae Anticipate Periodic Events. Physical Review Letters, 100(1). DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.100.018101
Miranda Eduardo R. , Adamatzky Andrew, & Jones Jeff . (2011) Sounds Synthesis with Slime Mould of Physarum polycephalum. Journal of Bionic Engineering, 107-113. arXiv: 1212.1203
by Christen Rune Stensvold in Blastocystis Parasite Blog
A few notes on deliberate and inadvertent attempts to eradicate Blastocystis.... Read more »
Nagel R, Bielefeldt-Ohmann H, & Traub R. (2014) Clinical pilot study: efficacy of triple antibiotic therapy in Blastocystis positive irritable bowel syndrome patients. Gut pathogens, 34. PMID: 25349629
by Aurametrix team in Irritable Bowel Blog
Parasite is a bad word with negative connotations. Yet, "bad things" can be good for you - and every situation is different. About one third of people in the world carry at least one parasite in their gastrointestinal tract, and the relationship between health and intestinal parasites is not as straightforward as one might think.... Read more »
Nourrisson C, Scanzi J, Pereira B, NkoudMongo C, Wawrzyniak I, Cian A, Viscogliosi E, Livrelli V, Delbac F, Dapoigny M.... (2014) Blastocystis Is Associated with Decrease of Fecal Microbiota Protective Bacteria: Comparative Analysis between Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Control Subjects. PloS one, 9(11). PMID: 25365580
Krogsgaard LR, Engsbro AL, & Bytzer P. (2013) The epidemiology of irritable bowel syndrome in Denmark. A population-based survey in adults ≤50 years of age. Scandinavian journal of gastroenterology, 48(5), 523-9. PMID: 23506174
by Christen Rune Stensvold in Blastocystis Parasite Blog
October was mostly about conferences and funding. And why is no one studying endosymbiosis in Blastocystis?... Read more »
Fletcher S, Caprarelli G, Merif J, Andresen D, Hal SV, Stark D, & Ellis J. (2014) Epidemiology and geographical distribution of enteric protozoan infections in sydney, australia. Journal of public health research, 3(2), 298. PMID: 25343139
Nagel R, Bielefeldt-Ohmann H, & Traub R. (2014) Clinical pilot study: efficacy of triple antibiotic therapy in Blastocystis positive irritable bowel syndrome patients. Gut pathogens, 34. PMID: 25349629
Nowack EC, & Melkonian M. (2010) Endosymbiotic associations within protists. Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences, 365(1541), 699-712. PMID: 20124339
Prodeus TV, Zelia OP, Khlebnikova TA, & Pikul' DA. (2014) [Extraenteric infection caused by Blastocystis spp. in a female patient with liver abscess]. Meditsinskaia parazitologiia i parazitarnye bolezni, 6-9. PMID: 25296418
by Mark Lasbury in As Many Exceptions As Rules
The protists are a catch-all kingdom, neither characteristics nor cladistics can easily group them, or even tell you what one is. Recent studies have begun to identify histories of the plant-like protist phyla based on their flagella. Rhodophyta are a basal phylum, and yet they have no flagella at all, while genomic studies have identified 495 different proteins in chromista flagella, with some being specific to each of the two dissimilar flagella on the organisms. Such diversity within one grou........ Read more »
Fu G, Nagasato C, Oka S, Cock JM, & Motomura T. (2014) Proteomics Analysis of Heterogeneous Flagella in Brown Algae (Stramenopiles). Protist, 165(5), 662-675. PMID: 25150613
Wei Y, Liu Q, Yu J, Feng Q, Zhao L, Song H, & Wang W. (2014) Antibacterial mode of action of 1,8-dihydroxy-anthraquinone from Porphyra haitanensis against Staphylococcus aureus. Natural product research, 1-4. PMID: 25259418
Maggs CA, Fletcher HL, Fewer D, Loade L, Mineur F, & Johnson MP. (2011) Speciation in red algae: members of the Ceramiales as model organisms. Integrative and comparative biology, 51(3), 492-504. PMID: 21742776
Strauch SM, Richter P, Schuster M, & Häder DP. (2010) The beating pattern of the flagellum of Euglena gracilis under altered gravity during parabolic flights. Journal of plant physiology, 167(1), 41-6. PMID: 19679374
by Mark E. Lasbury in The 'Scope
Nature is rife with examples of how one organism can rob another of its free will, turning them into zombies so to say. Who would have guessed that Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds was really a zombie movie.... Read more »
House PK, Vyas A, & Sapolsky R. (2011) Predator cat odors activate sexual arousal pathways in brains of Toxoplasma gondii infected rats. PloS one, 6(8). PMID: 21858053
Banks CN, & Adams ME. (2012) Biogenic amines in the nervous system of the cockroach, Periplaneta americana following envenomation by the jewel wasp, Ampulex compressa. Toxicon : official journal of the International Society on Toxinology, 59(2), 320-8. PMID: 22085538
Herzner G, Schlecht A, Dollhofer V, Parzefall C, Harrar K, Kreuzer A, Pilsl L, & Ruther J. (2013) Larvae of the parasitoid wasp Ampulex compressa sanitize their host, the American cockroach, with a blend of antimicrobials. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 110(4), 1369-74. PMID: 23297195
by Christen Rune Stensvold in Blastocystis Parasite Blog
Do companion animals contribute to human Blastocystis? Do IBS patients have a higher prevalence of Blastocystis and Dientamoeba fragilis than healthy invididuals? Check out this issue of 'This Month in Blastocystis Research'.... Read more »
Krogsgaard LR, Engsbro AL, Stensvold CR, Vedel Nielsen H, & Bytzer P. (2014) The Prevalence of Intestinal Parasites is not Greater Among Individuals with IBS: a Population-Based Case-Control Study. Clinical gastroenterology and hepatology : the official clinical practice journal of the American Gastroenterological Association. PMID: 25229421
Krogsgaard LR, Engsbro AL, & Bytzer P. (2013) The epidemiology of irritable bowel syndrome in Denmark. A population-based survey in adults ≤50 years of age. Scandinavian journal of gastroenterology, 48(5), 523-9. PMID: 23506174
Ruaux CG, & Stang BV. (2014) Prevalence of Blastocystis in Shelter-Resident and Client-Owned Companion Animals in the US Pacific Northwest. PloS one, 9(9). PMID: 25226285
Wang W, Cuttell L, Bielefeldt-Ohmann H, Inpankaew T, Owen H, & Traub RJ. (2013) Diversity of Blastocystis subtypes in dogs in different geographical settings. Parasites , 215. PMID: 23883734
Wawrzyniak I, Poirier P, Viscogliosi E, Dionigia M, Texier C, Delbac F, & Alaoui HE. (2013) Blastocystis, an unrecognized parasite: an overview of pathogenesis and diagnosis. Therapeutic advances in infectious disease, 1(5), 167-78. PMID: 25165551
by Christen Rune Stensvold in Blastocystis Parasite Blog
August 2014 saw interesting data emerging on Blastocystis in the background population, mRNA polyadnylation in the Blastocystis nuclear genome which calls for genome reannotation, and a large focus on Blastocystis in the ICOPA 2014 Congress in Mexico City.... Read more »
Fayer R, Elsasser T, Gould R, Solano G, Urban J Jr, & Santin M. (2014) Blastocystis tropism in the pig intestine. Parasitology research, 113(4), 1465-72. PMID: 24535732
Klimeš V, Gentekaki E, Roger AJ, & Eliáš M. (2014) A large number of nuclear genes in the human parasite blastocystis require mRNA polyadenylation to create functional termination codons. Genome biology and evolution, 6(8), 1956-61. PMID: 25015079
Hanage, W. (2014) Microbiology: Microbiome science needs a healthy dose of scepticism. Nature, 512(7514), 247-248. DOI: 10.1038/512247a
Scanlan PD, Stensvold CR, Rajilić-Stojanović M, Heilig HG, De Vos WM, O'Toole PW, & Cotter PD. (2014) The microbial eukaryote Blastocystis is a prevalent and diverse member of the healthy human gut microbiota. FEMS microbiology ecology. PMID: 25077936
Venton, D. (2014) Highlight: Not Like a Textbook--Nuclear Genes in Blastocystis Use mRNA Polyadenylation for Stop Codons. Genome Biology and Evolution, 6(8), 1962-1963. DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evu167
Wang W, Bielefeldt-Ohmann H, Traub RJ, Cuttell L, & Owen H. (2014) Location and pathogenic potential of blastocystis in the porcine intestine. PloS one, 9(8). PMID: 25093578
by John Fleischman in ASCB Post
It is a truth all but universally acknowledged that a eukaryotic cell entering mitosis must be in want of the canonical proteins for mitotic checkpoints. And then there is Giardia intestinalis. A notorious flagellate pathogen, this binucleate protist belongs to one of the major eukaryotic lineages now called the "Excavates." Like all other Excavates, Giardia is weird, says Zacheus Cande of the University of California, Berkeley, but weird in a good way because of its ancient evolutiona........ Read more »
Vicente JJ, & Cande WZ. (2014) Mad2, Bub3 and Mps1 regulate chromosome segregation and mitotic synchrony in Giardia intestinalis, a binucleate protist lacking an Anaphase Promoting Complex. Molecular biology of the cell. PMID: 25057014
Paredez AR, Assaf ZJ, Sept D, Timofejeva L, Dawson SC, Wang CJ, & Cande WZ. (2011) An actin cytoskeleton with evolutionarily conserved functions in the absence of canonical actin-binding proteins. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 108(15), 6151-6. PMID: 21444821
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