Myosporidium ladogensis n. comb. in burbot Lota lota from Finland: fine structure and microsporidian taxonomy.

Infections with microsporidian parasites are described in skeletal muscle of burbot Lota lota from Lake Haukivesi, Finland. Infected myocytes contained spores within sporophorous vesicles (SPVs) in contact with host cell cytoplasm, similar to Pleistophora ladogensis in L. lota and smelt Osmerus eperlanus in western Russia and northern Germany. Analysis of small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) gene sequences indicated identity with Myosporidium spraguei in burbot and pike-perch from this lake. The latter is considered a junior synonym of P. ladogensis. Phylogenetic analysis of SSU rRNA sequences resolved the burbot parasite apart from a clade containing the type species P. typicalis, but together with M. merluccius. The parasite is renamed Myosporidium ladogensis (Voronin, 1978) n. comb. Networks of tubular appendages arising from developing meronts and SPVs were associated with degradation of host cell cytoplasm.