Abstract
The human gut microbiota is a diverse and complex ecosystem that is involved in beneficial physiological functions as well as disease pathogenesis. Blastocystis is a common protistan parasite and is increasingly recognized as an important component of the gut microbiota. The correlations between Blastocystis and other communities of intestinal microbiota have been investigated, and, to a lesser extent, the role of this parasite in maintaining the host immunological homeostasis. Despite recent studies suggesting that Blastocystis decreases the abundance of beneficial bacteria, most reports indicate that Blastocystis is a common component of the healthy gut microbiome. This review covers recent finding on the potential interactions between Blastocystis and the gut microbiota communities and its roles in regulating host immune responses.
Highlights
Blastocystis belongs to the stramenopile group and is a common single-celled intestinal parasite of humans and a wide range of animals
A retrospective metagenomics approach to studying Blastocystis first revealed that the presence of Blastocystis was positively associated with the Prevotella- or Ruminococcus-driven enterotype and higher bacterial richness, whereas individuals with intestinal microbiota dominated by Bacteroides were much less likely to carry Blastocystis [16]
The increase of Bacteroides seems to be associated with lower bacterial diversity [26], colorectal cancer [27,28], celiac disease [29], and low-grade inflammation [30], showing that colonization with Blastocystis may be related to a healthy gut microbiota
Summary
Blastocystis belongs to the stramenopile group and is a common single-celled intestinal parasite of humans and a wide range of animals. A retrospective metagenomics approach to studying Blastocystis first revealed that the presence of Blastocystis was positively associated with the Prevotella- or Ruminococcus-driven enterotype and higher bacterial richness, whereas individuals with intestinal microbiota dominated by Bacteroides were much less likely to carry Blastocystis [16]. The increase of Bacteroides seems to be associated with lower bacterial diversity [26], colorectal cancer [27,28], celiac disease [29], and low-grade inflammation [30], showing that colonization with Blastocystis may be related to a healthy gut microbiota.
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