Identification and validation of novel <i>Blastocystis</i> subtype <scp>ST41</scp> in a Colombian patient undergoing colorectal cancer screening
Carolina Hernández‐Castro, Jenny G. Maloney, Sonia del Pilar Agudelo López, Miguel Toro-Londoño, Jorge Humberto Botero Garcés, María C. Orozco, Yulieth C. Quintero‐Quinchia, Juan Camilo Correa-Cote, Alejandro Múnera‐Duque, Juan Camilo Ricaurte-Ciro, Luis I. Londoño‐Álvarez, René Marcelo Escobar, Pamela C. Köster, Sergio Sánchez, David Carmena, Mónica Santı́n
Abstract
Blastocystis sp. is among the most frequent intestinal protists identified in humans globally. However, characterization of Blastocystis subtype diversity in humans is ongoing. We report here the identification of novel Blastocystis subtype ST41 in a Colombian patient undergoing colorectal cancer screening involving colonoscopy and fecal testing (microscopy, culture, PCR). The full-length ssu rRNA gene sequence of the protist was generated using MinION long-read sequencing technology. The validity of the novel subtype was confirmed via phylogenetic and pairwise distance analyses of the full-length ST41 sequence and all other valid subtypes. The study provides reference material essential for conducting subsequent experimental studies.