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Selenium (Se), an essential biological trace element, is required for fish growth. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Protein deposition in muscle is an important determinant for fish growth. This study was conducted on juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) to explore the nutritional effects of Se on protein deposition in fish muscle by analyzing the postprandial dynamics of both protein synthesis and protein degradation. Trout were fed a basal diet supplemented with or without 4 mg/kg Se (as selenium yeast), which has been previously demonstrated as the optimal supplemental level for rainbow trout growth. After 6 weeks of feeding, dietary Se supplementation exerted no influence on fish feed intake, whereas it increased fish growth rate, feed efficiency, protein retention rate and muscle protein content. Results of postprandial dynamics (within 24 h after feeding) of protein synthesis and degradation in trout muscle showed that dietary Se supplementation led to a persistently hyperactivated target of rapamycin complex 1 pathway, and the suppressive expression of numerous genes related to the ubiquitin-proteasome system and the autophagy-lysosome system after the feeding. However, the ubiquitinated proteins and microtubule-associated light chain 3B (LC3)-II/LC3-I ratio, biomarkers for ubiquitination and autophagy activities, respectively, exhibited no significant differences among the fish fed different experimental diets throughout the whole postprandial period. Overall, this study demonstrated a promoting effect of nutritional level of dietary Se on protein deposition in fish muscle by accelerating postprandial protein synthesis. These results provide important insights about the regulatory role of dietary Se in fish growth.

An 8‐week growth trial was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary Arg levels (7.6, 12.3, 17.9, 22.4 and 28.6 g/kg diet) on growth performance, hepatopancreatic antioxidant capacity, intestinal morphology and growth‐related gene expressions of juvenile grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus). The results showed that SGR in Arg22 and Arg28 groups was lower than in Arg12 and Arg17 groups (p < 0.05). Serum NO content in Arg7 group was lower than other groups. Hepatopancreatic GSH‐Px activity was higher in Arg17 group than in Arg7 group, while MDA content showed the opposite trend. Hepatopancreatic IGF‐1 expression tended to increase with Arg from 7.6 to 22.4 g/kg and then decreased in Arg28 group (p < 0.05), while IGFBP‐1 expression increased with Arg level. Muscle mRNA expressions of TOR and S6K1 showed quadratic trends as dietary Arg level increased, which were higher in Arg17 group than in Arg22 and Arg28 groups (p < 0.05). Higher mRNA expression levels of y+LAT1, y+LAT2 and PepT1, as well as higher villus height and villus width in foregut, were all observed in Arg17 group. The optimal dietary Arg level based on SGR by the quadratic model was 15.3 g/kg diet for juvenile grass carp, corresponding to 54.7 g/kg dietary protein.