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Dietary protein levels affect growth and protein metabolism in trunk muscle of cod, Gadus morhua

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Summary

Cod (Gadus morhua) of 50 g body weight were kept at 14°C. The fish were fed ad libitum during 80 days a diet containing protein levels which in terms of total energy corresponded to 25%, 45% or 65%. Growth increased in accordance with protein-energy levels. The protein content per gram of wet weight of white trunk muscle was unchanged, as was the myofibrillar protein myosin heavy chain determined by the antigen-antibody reaction of the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The amount of messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) coding for myosin heavy chain was lower at 25% than at 45% or 65% protein-energy intake, the differences being significant per gram of wet weight of muscle. Acid proteinase activity was highest at the lowest protein-energy intake. Glycogen content in muscle increased with the protein-energy levels. It is concluded that the metabolic response of white trunk muscle to graded protein-energy intake included a change in the capacity to synthesize myosin heavy chain as judged by its mRNA content. The protein content per gram of wet weight was unaffected by dietary protein-energy levels of 25%, 45% and 65%, but protein accretion and thus growth of the animals increased with the protein intake. Dietary protein-energy restriction caused a rise in acid proteinase activity and a decrease in content of mRNA for myosin heavy chain, resulting in a diminished growth rate at an unchanged protein content per gram of wet weight of muscle.

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Abbreviations

CTP:

cytidine triphosphate

DNA:

desoxyribonucleic acid

EDTA:

ethylenediaminetetra-acetic acid

mRNA:

messenger ribonucleic acid

TRIS:

tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Wenner-Gren Institute, Biology F3, University of Stockholm, S-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden

    Alexandra von der Decken

  2. Nutrition Institute, N-5024, Bergen, Norway

    Einar Lied

Authors
  1. Alexandra von der Decken
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  2. Einar Lied
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von der Decken, A., Lied, E. Dietary protein levels affect growth and protein metabolism in trunk muscle of cod, Gadus morhua . J Comp Physiol B 162, 351–357 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00260763

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