title: The life cycle of Myxobolus lentisuturalis (Myxozoa: Myxobolidae), from goldfish (Carassius auratus auratus), involves a Raabeia-type actinospore.
abstract: We studied a natural infection of the oligochaete Branchiura sowerbyi Beddard, 1892 with the Raabeia-type actinosporean stage of Myxobolus lentisuturalis Dyková, Fiala et Nie, 2002 which infected goldfish Carassius auratus auratus (L.) in Italy, using molecular analysis of the SSU rRNA gene. The existence of intraoligochaete development shows that this parasite follows the life-cycle pattern described by Wolf and Markiw (1984) for Myxobolus cerebralis. Histological examinations of the goldfish infected by M. lentisuturalis showed at low magnification the presence of two bilateral crescent-shaped masses in the dorsal epaxial muscle. These lesions were not circumscribed, presented irregular edges and infiltrated the underlying bundles of skeletal muscle and interstitial tissue. At higher magnification, disappearance of muscle fibres and substitution of the muscle tissue with Myxobolus spores and plasmodia were observed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Public Health and Animal Pathology, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, via Tolara di Sopra 50, 40064 Ozzano Emila, Bologna, Italy. monica.caffara@unibo.it
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Caffara
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Raimondi
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Florio
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Marcer
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Quaglio
authors.forename: Maria Letizia
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Fioravanti
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer / Q000235:genetics; D006054:Goldfish / Q000469:parasitology*; D008018:Life Cycle Stages / Q000502:physiology*; D055766:Myxobolus / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development*; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S / Q000235:genetics; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D033761:Spores, Protozoan / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S