Expression profile for metabolic and growth-related genes in domesticated and transgenic coho salmon ( Oncorhynchus kisutch) modified for increased growth hormone production

• Published in: Aquaculture 2010-09, Vol.307 (1), p.111-122
• Main Authors: Overturf, Ken, Sakhrani, Dionne, Devlin, Robert H.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal aquaculture; animal growth; Animal productions; Aquaculture; Biological and medical sciences; Biotechnology; body size; Coho salmon; Environment and pollution; farmed fish; fish culture; fish farms; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gene expression; gene expression regulation; General aspects; Genes; Genetically engineered organisms behavior (microorganisms, plants, animals); Growth; Growth hormone; Growth hormones; growth-related genes; hormone secretion; Industrial applications and implications. Economical aspects; liver; Metabolism; muscle tissues; Oncorhynchus kisutch; Salmon; somatotropin; Transgenic; transgenic animals
• ISSN: 0044-8486; 1873-5622
• DOI: 10.1016/j.aquaculture.2010.06.010

To gain a better understanding of the aspects underlying growth in salmonids, quantitative expression analysis was performed for a number of genes related to muscle growth, metabolism, immunology and energy regulation in the liver and muscle of wild-type coho salmon ( Oncorhynchus kisutch), domesticated coho salmon selected for growth, growth hormone-transgenic coho salmon fed to satiation, and growth hormone-transgenic coho salmon reared on restricted rations. In comparisons among these four experimental groups, our findings show a significant and correlative up-regulation in the expression of a number of muscle determination and development factors in full-fed (FF) transgenic and domestic coho salmon. Expression of several metabolic genes involved with amino acid turnover and utilization also was correlated between these two faster-growing groups. However, distinct differences between domesticated and FF-transgenic fish were found for some genes involved with muscle cell differentiation, innate immune system, metabolism, and amino acid regulation. Wild-type and ration-restricted growth hormone-transgenic fish correlated very highly in the expression of most genes tested, suggesting that limiting available energy reduces the effects of elevated growth hormone and down-regulates muscle and metabolic regulatory pathways similarly to the reduced potential for growth hormone production seen in wild-type fish.