What question did this study set out to answer?

The aim is to develop a new MLST method to investigate the genetic diversity and transmission of Balantioides coli in pigs.

April 1, 2026Open Access

Development of a multilocus sequence typing tool for Balantioides coli and its genetic diversity in pigs

Key Points

The aim is to develop a new MLST method to investigate the genetic diversity and transmission of Balantioides coli in pigs.
Selected five microsatellite loci for high amplification efficiency from B. coli genomic data.
Developed a multilocus sequence typing method for B. coli.
Conducted sequence analysis of pig-derived isolates in China.
Identified multiple multilocus sequence typing subtypes among pig isolates.
Demonstrated higher resolution than conventional genotyping methods like 18S rDNA.
Found no significant geographical isolation among the isolates.

Abstract

The 18S rDNA and ITS1-5.8S rDNA-ITS2 genetic markers exhibit some limitations, including low resolution in the molecular epidemiological study of Balantioides coli. Here, five microsatellite loci (BC-MS1, BC-MS5, BC-MS10, BC-MS11, and BC-MS12) with high amplification efficiency and polymorphism were selected from genomic data of B. coli to develop a multilocus sequence typing (MLST) method for the first time. Sequence analysis reveals that there are multiple MLS subtypes and groups among pig-derived isolates in China and no obvious geographical isolation. The established MLST method demonstrates higher resolution than conventional genotyping approaches relying on 18S rDNA or ITS1-5.8S rDNA-ITS2 and will serve as a useful tool for investigating the transmission dynamics and genetic diversity of this zoonotic pathogen.

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