Abstract
Genetically improved transgenic fish possess many beneficial economic traits; however, the commercial aquaculture of transgenic fish has not been performed till date. One of the major reasons for this is the possible ecological risk associated with the escape or release of the transgenic fish. Using a growth hormone transgenic fish with rapid growth characteristics as a subject, this paper analyzes the following: the essence of the potential ecological risks posed by transgenic fish; ecological risk in the current situation due to transgenic fish via one-factor phenotypic and fitness analysis, and mathematical model deduction. Then, it expounds new ideas and the latest findings using an artificially simulated ecosystem for the evaluation of the ecological risks posed by transgenic fish. Further, the study comments on the strategies and principles of controlling these ecological risks by using a triploid approach. Based on these results, we propose that ecological risk evaluation and prevention strategies are indispensable important components and should be accompanied with breeding research in order to provide enlightments for transgenic fish breeding, evaluation of the ecological risks posed by transgenic fish, and development of containment strategies against the risks.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Zhu Z, Li G, He L, et al. Novel gene transfer into the fertilized eggs of goldfish (Carassius auratus L. 1758). Z Angew Ichthyol, 1985, 1: 31–34
Maclean N, Laight R J. Transgenic fish: An evaluation of benefits and risks. Fish Fish, 2000, 1: 146–172
Devlin R H, Johnsson J I, Smailus D E, et al. Increased ability to compete for food by growth hormone-transgenic coho salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch (Walbaum). Aquac Res, 1999, 30: 479–482
Devlin R H, D’Andrade M, Uh M, et al. Population effects of growth hormone transgenic coho salmon depend on food availability and genotype by environment interactions. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 2004, 101: 9303–9308
Fu C, Li D, Hu W, et al. Growth and energy budget of F2 “all-fish” growth hormone gene transgenic common carp. J Fish Biol, 2007, 70: 347–361
Plaut I. Critical swimming speed: Its ecological relevance. Comp Biochem Phys A, 2001, 131: 41–50
Reidy S P, Kerr S R, Nelson J A. Aerobic and anaerobic swimming performance of individual Atlantic Cod. J Exp Biol, 2000, 203: 347–357
Young P S, Cech J J. Improved growth, swimming performance, and muscular development in exercise-conditioned young-of-the-year striped bass Morone saxatilis. Can J Fish Aquat Sci, 1993, 50: 703–707
Drucker E G. The use of gait transition speed in comparative studies of fish locomotion. Am Zool, 1996, 36: 555–566
Swanson C, Young P S, Cech J J. Swimming performance of delta smelt: Maximum performance, and behavioral and kinematic limitations on swimming at submaximal velocities. J Exp Biol, 1998, 201: 333–345
Farrell A P, Bennett W, Devlin R H. Growth-enhanced transgenic salmon can be inferior swimmers. Can J Zool, 1997, 75: 335–337
Lee C G, Devlin R H, Farrell A P. Swimming performance, oxygen consumption and excess post-exercise oxygen consumption in adult transgenic and ocean-ranched coho salmon. J Fish Biol, 2003, 62: 753–766
Dunham R A, Chitmanat C, Nichols A, et al. Predator avoidance of transgenic channel catfish containing salmonid growth hormone genes. Mar Biotechnol, 1999, 1: 545–551
Sundstrom L F, Lohmus M, Johnsson J, et al. Growth hormone transgenic salmon pay for growth potential with increased predation mortality. Proc R Soc Lond B (Suppl) 2004, 271: 350–352
Li D, Fu C, Hu W, et al. Rapid growth cost in “all-fish” growth hormone gene transgenic carp: Reduced critical swimming speed. Chin Sci Bull, 2007, 52(11): 1501–1506
Zhang T, Hu W, Duan M, et al. The gh-transgenic common carp (cyprinus carpio): Growth performance, viability and predator avoidance. In: the Seventh International Congress on the Biology of Fish, St John’s, Newfoundland, Canada, July 18–22, 2006
Kolok A S, Oris J T. The relationship between specie growth rate and swimming performance in male fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas). Can J Zool, 1995, 73: 2165–2167
Gregory T R, Wood C M. Individual variation and interrelationships between swimming performance, growth rate, and feeding in juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Can J Fish Aquat Sci, 1998, 55: 1583–1590
Gregory T R, Wood C M. Interactions between individual feeding behavior, growth, and swimming performance in juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) fed different rations. Can J Fish Aquat Sci, 1999, 56: 479–486
Billerbeck J M, Lankford T E, Conover D O. Evolution of intrinsic growth and energy acquisition rates. I. Trade-offs with swimming performance in Menidia menidia. Evolution, 2001, 55: 1863–1872
Arendt J D. Reduced burst speed is a cost of rapid growth in anuran tadpoles: Problems of autocorrelation and inferences about growth rates. Funct Ecol, 2003, 17: 328–334
Devlin R H, Sundstrom L F, Muir W M. Interface of biotechnology and ecology for environmental risk assessments of transgenic fish. Trends Biotechnol, 2006, 24: 89–97
Muir W M, Howard R D. Possible ecological risks of transgenic organism release when transgenes affect mating success: Sexual selection and the Trojan gene hypothesis. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 1999, 96(24): 13853–13856
Muir W M Howard R D. Fitness components and ecological risk of transgenic release: A model using Japanese Medaka (Oryzias latipes). Am Natur, 2001, 158: 1–16
Stokstad E. Engineered fish: Friend or foe of the environment? Science, 2002, 297: 1797–1798.
Kapuscinski A R. Current scientific understanding of the environmental biosafety of transgenic fish and shellfish. Rev Sci Tech, 2005, 24: 309–322
Zhang T, Li Z, Guo Q. Investigations on fishes and fishery of four lakes along the middle and lower basins of the Changjiang River. Acta Hydrobiol Sin (in Chinese), 2007, 31: in press
Zhang T L, Fang R L, Cui Y B. Comparisons of fish community diversity in five lake areas under different levels of fishery development. Acta Hydrobiol Sin (in Chinese), 1996, 20(Suppl): 191–199
Wu Q J, Ye Y Z. Fish Genetics-breeding (in Chinese). Shanghai: Shanghai Science & Technology Press, 1998. 235–243
Wu C, Ye Y, Chen R. Genome manipulation in carp (Cyprinus carpio). Aquaculture, 1986, 54: 57–61
Wu C, Ye Y, Chen R. An artificial multiple triploid carp and its biological characteristics. Aquaculture, 1993, 111: 255–262
Liu S J, Liu Y, Zhou G, et al. The formation of tetraploid stocks of red crucian carp × common carp hybrids as an effect of interspecific hybridization. Aquaculture, 2001, 192(3–4): 171–186
Liu S J, Hu F, Zhou G J, et al. Gonadal structure of triploid crucian carp produced by crossing allotetraploid hybrids of Carassium auratus red var. (female)×Cyprinus carpio (male) with Japanese crucian carp (Carassius auratus Cavieri T. et S). Acta Hydrobiol Sin (in Chinese), 2000, 24(4): 301–306
Zhang C, He X X, Liu S J, et al. Chromosome pairing in meiosis I in allotetraploid hybrids and allotriploid crucian carp. Acta Zool Sin (in Chinese), 2005, 51(1): 89–94
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Supported by the Development Plan of the State Key Fundamental Research of China (Grant Nos. 2007CB109205 and 2007CB109206), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 30430540), and the ‘863’ High Technology Project (Grant No. 2006AA10Z141)
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hu, W., Wang, Y. & Zhu, Z. Progress in the evaluation of transgenic fish for possible ecological risk and its containment strategies. SCI CHINA SER C 50, 573–579 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11427-007-0089-y
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11427-007-0089-y