Growth regulation in brook charr Salvelinus fontinalis.

Fish growth can be modulated through genetic selection. However, it is not known whether growth regulatory mechanisms modulated by genetic selection can provide information about phenotypic growth variations among families or populations. Following a five-generation breeding program that selected for the absence of early sexual maturity and increased growth in brook charr we aimed to understand how the genetic selection process modifies the growth regulatory pathway of brook charr at the molecular level. To achieve this, we studied the regulation of growth traits at three different levels: 1) between lines-one under selection, the other not, 2) among-families expressing differences in average growth phenotypes, which we termed family performance, and 3) among individuals within families that expressed extreme growth phenotypes, which we termed slow- and fast-growing. At age 1+, individuals from four of the highest performing and four of the lowest performing families in terms of growth were sampled in both the control and selected lines. The gene expression levels of three reference and ten target genes were analyzed by real-time PCR. Results showed that better growth performance (in terms of weight and length at age) in the selected line was associated with an upregulation in the expression of genes involved in the growth hormone (GH)/insulin growth factor-1 (IGF-1) axis, including the igf-1 receptor in pituitary; the gh-1 receptor and igf-1 in liver; and ghr and igf-1r in white muscle. When looking at gene expression within families, family performance and individual phenotypes were associated with upregulations of the leptin receptor and neuropeptid Y-genes related to appetite regulation-in the slower-growing phenotypes. However, other genes related to appetite (ghrelin, somatostatin) or involved in muscle growth (myosin heavy chain, myogenin) were not differentially expressed. This study highlights how transcriptomics may improve our understanding of the roles of different key endocrine steps that regulate physiological performance. Large variations in growth still exist in the selected line, indicating that the full genetic selection potential has not been reached.

Autonomic regulation of the heart during digestion and aerobic swimming in the European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax).

The autonomic regulation of the heart was studied in European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) during digestion and aerobic exercise by measuring cardiac output (Q), heart rate (f(H)), stroke volume (V(s)) and oxygen consumption (MO(2)) before and after pharmacological blockade by intraperitoneal injections of atropine and propranolol. The significant rise in MO(2) (134+/-14 to 174+/-14 mg kg(-)(1)h(-)(1)) 6h after feeding (3% body mass) caused a significant tachycardia (47.7+/-10.9 to 72.6+/-7.2 beats min(-)(1)), but only a small elevation of Q. MO(2) of fasting fish increased progressively with swimming speed (0.7-2.1BLs(-)(1)) causing a significant tachycardia (43+/-6 to 61+/-4 mL min(-)(1)kg(-)(1)) and increased Q but V(s) did not change. Inactive fish were characterized by a high vagal tone (98.3+/-21.7%), and the tachycardia during digestion and exercise was exclusively due to a reduction of vagal tone, while the adrenergic tone remained low during all conditions. Intrinsic f(H), revealed after double autonomic blockade, was not affected by digestion (71+/-4 and 70+/-6 min(-)(1), respectively), indicating that non-adrenergic, non-cholinergic (NANC) factors do not contribute to the tachycardia during digestion in sea bass.

An investigation of metabolic prioritization in the European sea bass, Dicentrarchus labrax.

We investigated the ability of European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) to respond simultaneously to the metabolic demands of specific dynamic action (SDA) and aerobic exercise and how this was influenced by moderate hypoxia (50% air saturation). At 3 h after feeding in normoxia at 20 degrees C, SDA raised the instantaneous oxygen uptake (Mo(2)) of sea bass by 47% +/- 18% (mean +/- SEM, N = 7) above their standard metabolic rate (SMR) when fasted. This metabolic load was sustained throughout an incremental exercise protocol until fatigue, with a 14% +/- 3% increase in their maximum aerobic metabolic rate (MMR) relative to their fasted rate. Their incremental critical swimming speed (U(crit)) did not differ between fasted and fed states. Thus, in normoxia, the bass were able to meet the combined oxygen demands of SDA and aerobic exercise. In hypoxia, the sea bass suffered a significant decline in MMR and U(crit) relative to their normoxic performance. The SDA response was similar to normoxia (84% +/- 24% above fasted SMR at 3 h after feeding), but although this load was sustained at low swimming speeds, it gradually disappeared as swimming speed increased. As a result, the hypoxic sea bass exhibited no difference in their fasted versus fed MMR. Hypoxic U(crit) did not, however, differ between fasted and fed states, indicating that the sea bass deferred their SDA to maintain exercise performance. The results demonstrate that, in normoxia, the sea bass possesses excess cardiorespiratory capacity beyond that required for maximal aerobic exercise. The excess capacity is lost when oxygen availability is limited in hypoxia, and, under these conditions, the sea bass prioritize exercise performance. Thus, environmental conditions (oxygen availability) had a significant effect on patterns of oxygen allocation in sea bass and revealed intrinsic prioritization among conflicting metabolic demands.