Abstract
Masu salmon, Oncorhynchus masou masou, fry were fed with diets containing three different levels of protein for 18 weeks, and the levels of free amino acids and related compounds in the white muscle were compared among the dietary groups and between smolts and parr. The anserine level in the white muscle of smolts was always higher than that of parr, while histidine and glycine levels in the former were always lower than those in the latter, irrespective of dietary treatments. A mixed solution of crystalline anserine, histidine and glycine simulating these amino acid levels in the white muscle of the smolts had a stronger buffering capacity in the physiological pH range than that simulating those levels present in parr. These results suggest that even in freshwater conditions, the white muscle of smolts possesses a more potent buffering capacity than the muscle of parr, for anaerobic burst swimming during the downstream migration. Moreover, the white muscle of smolts fed the high-protein diet had a significantly higher level of anserine than that of smolts fed the low- or intermediate-protein diets, and the solution mimicking the white muscle of smolts fed the high-protein diet showed the strongest buffering capacity among the mixed solutions tested. Thus, a diet with high-protein level could improve qualities of smolts.
Similar content being viewed by others
References cited
Abe, H. 1983. Distribution of free l-histidine and related dipeptides in the muscle of fresh-water fishes. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 76B: 35–39.
Abe, H., Dobson, G.P., Hoeger, V. and Parkhouse, W.S. 1985. Role of histidine-related compounds to intracellular buffering in fish skeletal muscle. Am. J. Physiol. 249: R449–R454.
Abe, H. and Ohmama, S. 1987. Effect of starvation and seawater acclimation on the concentraton of free l-histidine and related dipeptides in the muscle of eel, rainbow trout and Japanese dace. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 88B: 507–511.
Abe, H. and Okuma, E. 1991. Effect of temperature on buffering capacities of histidine-related compounds and fish skeletal muscle. Nippon Suisan Gakkaishi 57: 2101–2107.
Akiyama, T. and Nose, T. 1980. Changes in body weight, condition factor and body composition of fingerling chum salmon with various sizes during starvation. Bull. Nat. Res. Inst. Aquaculture 1: 71–78.
Clarke, W.C. and Blackburn, J. 1977. A seawater challenge test to measure smolting of juvenile salmon. Fisheries and Marine Service, Tech. Rep. No. 705: 1–11.
Cowey, C.B. and Parry, G. 1963. The non-protein nitrogenous constituents of the muscle of parr and smolt stages of the Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 8: 47–51.
Davy, C.L. 1960. The significance of carnosine and anserine in striated skeletal muscle. Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 89: 303–308.
Duncan, D.B. 1955. Multiple range and multiple F tests. Biometrics 11: 1–42.
Fagerlund, V.H.M., McCallum, I., Higgs, D.A., McBride, J.R., Plotnikoff, M.D. and Dosanjh, B.S. 1984. Diet composition as a factor in the anabolic efficacy of 3,5,3′-triiodo-Lthyronine administered orally to steelhead trout (Salmo gairdneri). Aquaculture 36: 49–59.
Folmar, L.C. and Dickhoff, W.W. 1980. The parr-smolt transformation (smoltification) and sea-water adaptation in salmonids. Aquaculture 21: 1–37.
Glova, G.J. and MacInerney, J.E. 1977. Critical swimming speeds of coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) fry to smolt stages in relation to salinity and temperature. J. Fish. Res. Bd. Can. 34: 151–154.
Godin, J.-G., Dill, P.A. and Drury, D.E. 1974. Effects of thyroid hormones on behavior of yearling Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). J. Fish. Res. Bd. Can. 31: 1787–1790.
Halver, J.E. 1957. Nutrition of salmonid fishes. III. Water soluble vitamin requirements of chinook salmon. J. Nutr. 62: 225–243.
Higgs, D.A., Markert, J.R., Plotnikoff, M.D., McBride, J.R. and Dosanjh, B.S. 1985. Development of nutritional and environmental strategies for maximizing the growth and survival of juvenile pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha). Aquaculture 47: 113–130.
Hoar, W.S., 1976. Smolt transformation: evolution, behaviour and physiology. J. Fish. Res. Bd. Can. 33: 1234–1252.
Hoar, W.S, MacKinnon, D. and Redlich, A. 1952. Effects of some hormones on the behaviour of salmon fry. Can. J. Zool. 30: 273–286.
Hoar, W.S., Keenleyside, M.H.A. and Goodall, R.G. 1955. The effects of thyroxin and gonadal steroids on the activity of salmon and goldfish. Can. J. Zool. 33: 428–439.
Kubo, T. 1980. Studies on the life history of the masu salmon (Oncorhynchus masou) in Hokkaido (in Japanese). Sci. Rep. Hokkaido Salmon Hatch. 34: 1–95.
Lukton, A. 1958. Effect of diet on imidazol compounds and creatinine in chinook salmon. Nature, Lond. 4641: 1019–1020.
Mommsen, T.P., French, C.J. and Hochachaka, P.W. 1980. Sites and patterns of protein and amino acid utilization during the spawning migration of salmon. Can. J. Zool. 58: 1785–1799.
Moore, S. 1963. On the determination of cysteine as cysteic acid. J. Biol. Chem. 238: 235–237.
Murai, T., Hirasawa, Y., Akiyama, T. and Nose, T. 1983. Effects of previous dietary history on the mortality and changes in body composition of chum salmon fry during starvation in seawater (in Japanese). Bull. Nat. Res. Inst. Aquaculture 4: 79–86.
Ogata, H., Arai, S. and Nose, T. 1983. Growth responses of cherry salmon Oncorhynchus masou and amago salmon O. rhodurus fry fed purified casein diets supplemented with amino acids. Bull, Jap. Soc. Sci. Fish. 49: 1381–1385.
Ogata, H. and Murai, T. 1989. Effect of dietary fatty acid composition on growth and smolting of underyearling masu salmon, Oncorhynchus masou. Aquaculture 82: 181–189.
Ogata, H. and Murai, T. 1991. Nutritional approach to the production of masu salmon (Oncorhynchus masou) smolt. In Marine Ranching: Proceedings of the 17th U.S.-Japan Meeting on Aquaculture. Edited by R.S. Svrjcek. NOAA Technical Report NMFS 102: 145–149.
Penke, B., Ferenczi, R. and Kovacs, K. 1974. A new acid hydrolysis method for determining tryptophan in peptides and proteins. Analyt. Biochem. 60: 45–50.
Plotnikoff, M.D., Higgs, D.A., Markert, J.R., Dosanjh, B.S., McBride, J.R. and Buckley, J.T. 1983. Nutrition and marine survival of chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha). 1. Potential role of smolt body composition. Can. Tech. Rep. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 1206: 1–20.
Plotnikoff, M.D., Higgs, D.A., Markert, J.R., Dosanjh, B.S., McBride, J.R. and Buckley, J.T. 1984. Nutrition and marine survival of chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha). II. Further investigation of the potential role of smolt body composition. Can. Tech. Rep. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 1235: 1–17.
Saito, J., Kasahara, N., Atoda, M. and Yamauchi, K. 1988. Physiological and ecological characteristics of underyearling smolt of masu salmon reared in Mori Hatchery (in Japanese). In Marine Ranching Program. Progress Reports on Masu Salmon Production 8, pp. 36–45. Edited by O. Hiroi. Hokkaido Salmon Hatcheries, Sapporo.
Sato, R., Fukuda, Y. and Akutsu, U. 1984. Smoltification and desmoltification in underyearling masu salmon Oncorhynchus masou (in Japanese). In Marine Ranching Program. Progress Reports on Masu Salmon Production 4, pp. 9–19. Edited by T. Kobayashi. Hokkaido Salmon Hatcheries, Sapporo.
Sato, R., Shibuya, T. and Akutsu, U. 1986. Smoltification of underyearling masu salmon (Oncorhynchus masou) at different temperature (in Japanese). Bull. Nat. Res. Inst. Aquaculture 9: 21–27.
Smith, L.S. 1982. Decreased swimming performance as a necessary component of the smolt migration in salmon in the Columbia River. Aquaculture 28: 153–161.
Suyama, M. and Yoshizawa, Y. 1973. Free amino acid composition of the skeletal muscle of migratory fish (in Japanese). Bull. Jap. Soc. Sci. Fish. 39: 1339–1343.
Suyama, M. and Shimizu, T. 1982. Buffering capacity and taste of carnosine and its methylated compounds (in Japanese). Bull. Jap. Soc. Sci. Fish. 48: 89–95.
Suyama, M., Hirano, T. and Suzuki, T. 1986. Buffering capacity of free histidine and its related dipeptides in white and dark muscles of yellowfin tuna. Bull. Jap. Soc. Sci. Fish. 52: 2171–2175.
Suzuki, T., Hirano, T. and Suyama, M. 1987. Free imidazol compounds in white and dark muscles of migratory marine fish. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 87B: 615–619.
Thorpe, J.E. and Morgan, R.I.G. 1978. Periodicity in Atlantic salmon smolt migration. J. Fish Biol. 12: 541–548.
Virtanen, E. and Forsman, L. 1987. Physiological responses to continuous swimming in wild salmon (Salmo salar L.) parr and smolt. Fish Physiol. Biochem. 4: 157–163.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ogata, H., Murai, T. White muscle of masu salmon, Oncorhynchus masou masou, smolts possesses a strong buffering capacity due to a high level of anserine. Fish Physiol Biochem 13, 285–293 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00003432
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00003432