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cDNA structure and the effect of fasting on myostatin expression in walking catfish (Clarias macrocephalus, Günther 1864)

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Abstract

We cloned and sequenced the myostatin (MSTN) gene of walking catfish and characterized its expression under different conditions. The full cDNA sequence of MSTN was 1,784 bp, containing an open reading frame of 1,191 bp, which encoded 396 amino acids. The deduced MSTN sequence contained functional sites similar to other members of TGF-β superfamily, including the proteolytic processing site and nine conserved cysteines in the C-terminal. Walking catfish MSTN mRNA was strongly expressed in skeletal muscle and brain tissues, consistent with the expression profiles of MSTN-1 isoform in other teleosts. Temporal expression analysis revealed that the MSTN was expressed at the highest levels in 1-week-old larvae and adults, but was lowest in early juveniles. A fasting–re-feeding experiment was used to evaluate the effects of starvation on growth and MSTN expression in juvenile walking catfish for 28 days. MSTN transcript levels increased significantly (threefold) after 7 days of fasting (P < 0.05) compared with the fed control. Subsequently, MSTN expression levels decreased 1.6-fold when fasting was extended to 14 days. Although re-feeding decreased the MSTN expression relative to the levels of the fed control, the period was not long enough for growth recovery of the juveniles. Our results supported a role of MSTN as a negative regulator of muscle growth and, possibly, a role in energy conservation in fish.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported in part by grants from the Center of Excellence on Agricultural Biotechnology (AG-BIO/PERDO-CHE) and the Thailand Research Fund (Grant no. RMU5180015).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Agricultural Biotechnology, Kasetsart University, Nakhon Pathom, 73140, Thailand

    Poonmanee Kanjanaworakul

  2. Center of Excellence on Agricultural Biotechnology (AG-BIO/PERDO-CHE), Bangkok, 10900, Thailand

    Poonmanee Kanjanaworakul

  3. Department of Aquaculture, Faculty of Fisheries, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan Road, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand

    Prapansak Srisapoome & Supawadee Poompuang

  4. Department of Nutrition and Health, Institute of Food Research and Product Development, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand

    Orathai Sawatdichaikul

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  1. Poonmanee Kanjanaworakul
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  2. Prapansak Srisapoome
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  4. Supawadee Poompuang
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Correspondence to Supawadee Poompuang.

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Kanjanaworakul, P., Srisapoome, P., Sawatdichaikul, O. et al. cDNA structure and the effect of fasting on myostatin expression in walking catfish (Clarias macrocephalus, Günther 1864). Fish Physiol Biochem 41, 177–191 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10695-014-0015-8

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