Diversity and life cycle descriptions of freshwater actinospores (Myxozoa) infecting oligochaetes in Lake Balaton, Hungary.

Authors

Graciela Esmeralda Colunga-Ramírez, Boglárka Sellyei, Kinga Katalin Lefler, Csaba Székely, Gábor Cech

Published in

Journal of invertebrate pathology. Pages 108710. Jul 25, 2026. Epub Jul 25, 2026.

Abstract

Although research on the myxosporean stages in vertebrates is extensive, the actinospore stages in invertebrates remain comparatively underexplored, hindering our understanding of their full life cycles and evolutionary processes. In the present study, we aimed to explore the actinospore diversity in the intestinal epithelium of oligochaete species from Lake Balaton and Kis-Balaton in Hungary. Consequently, through the combined use of morphology, morphometry, and molecular analyses, a total of ten different actinospore types within five different genera of Oligochaeta were found. Molecular data successfully linked two new actinospore types to the life cycles of two known myxosporeans: an aurantiactinomyxon type 1 (Limnodrilus sp.) to Myxobolus tihanyensis, and a triactinomyxon type (Tubifex sp.) to Myxobolus dogieli. Furthermore, we described four new actinospore types: triactinomyxon type C1 (Isochaetides michaelseni), triactinomyxon type 1 (Tubifex sp.), raabeia type 1 (Tubifex sp.), aurantiactinomyxon type 1 (Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri), alongside four previously reported types: triactinomyxon type 3 (Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri), aurantiactinomyxon type 2 (Branchiura sowerbyi), raabeia type (B. sowerbyi), and neoactinomyxum type A2 (B. sowerbyi). Notably, this study constitutes the first actinospore phylogeny based on the 28S rDNA gene, alongside the standard molecular marker for myxozoans, the 18S rDNA gene. Although Hungarian researchers have made crucial contributions to the description of numerous actinospore types, this study demonstrates that current actinospore diversity remains largely undocumented.

PMID:
42501912
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 26 Jul 2026.

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