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Updated: Apr 14, 2026

Expression, Solubilization, and Purification of Eukaryotic Borate Transporters
Published on: March 7, 2019
Identification and functional analysis of Blastocystis sp. ST2 Cation transporter
Huizhu Nan1, Jing Zhang1, Xin Yang1
1Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Hebei Collaborative Innovation Center for Eco-Environment, Hebei Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Life Science, Hebei Normal University, 050024 Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, China.
None:
Blastocystis sp. is a zoonotic protozoan with a broad host range, but its genome remains incompletely annotated, and functional protein characterization is lacking. Cation Diffusion Facilitators (CDFs) regulate the metabolism of metal ions to maintain intracellular metal homeostasis in most bacteria and plants. However, CDFs have never been identified in Blastocystis sp.. The study identified a CDF family homolog-Cation transporter (GenBank: PV290052) and aimed to characterize the gene and evaluate its role in metal ion transport in Blastocystis sp. ST2. PCR and sequencing revealed that the Cation transporter gene in Blastocystis sp. ST2 is 1341 bp in length. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that different Blastocystis subtypes formed a monophyletic clade. Western Blot confirmed the protein size at ∼50 kDa, and immunofluorescence assay (IFA) demonstrated that it primarily localizes to the cell membrane, consistent with bioinformatic predictions. Iron promoted Blastocystis sp. ST2 proliferation, while intracellular iron deposition was observed in Cation transporter RNAi strains, indicating that Cation transporter facilitates iron efflux. In conclusion, Cation transporter plays a critical role in iron metabolism in Blastocystis sp., potentially serving as a critical regulator of metal ion homeostasis. These findings provide candidate molecules for preventing and treating metal metabolism disorders in humans and animals.
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