Fish shows great difference in growth rate between individuals during larval development and early growth. This difference seriously reduces the production efficiency in fish culture. Growth hormone (GH)/Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) system is said to play some pivotal roles in fish growth. In this study, we investigated differences of GH, IGF1 and GHR gene expressions in juvenile red spotted grouper ( Epinephelus akaara ) with different growth performance. Red spotted groupers were reared under the same environmental condition (water temperature 24±1℃, natural light) for 96 days after hatching. They were divided into 3 groups by size (fast growing, middle growing and slow growing groups: FGG, MGG, and SGG, respectively). RNA was extracted from the brain, liver and muscle tissues from each group, and target gene expression was examined by real-time PCR. In the brain with pituitary gland, expression of GH gene in FGG was significantly higher than the expression in SGG, but the expression of IGF1 and GHR genes in the muscle was highest in SGG. Difference of GHR and IGF1 mRNA in the liver between groups with different growth performance was less clear than that in other tissues, although level of IGF1 mRNA was higher in SGG than in MGG. These results suggest that hormonal governing of growth is not the same in fast growing and slow growing fish, and size grading could cause a shift of hormonal state and growth pattern in this species.

Thermal-switchable ladder-like poly(silsesquioxane) (LPSQ) adhesives using the Diels-Alder reaction were synthesized and utilized as reversible adhesion materials. The LPSQ polymer was blended with various diene crosslinkers and its reversible features...

Large quantity of eggs fail to be fertilized and many of fertilized eggs are unable to hatch in the eel, Anguilla japonica. Larvae of eel absorb egg yolk up to 8 days after hatching but the majority of hatched larvae die before they reach the stage of first feeding in this species. Genes of key enzymes for yolk processing (cathepsin B, D, L and lipoprotein lipase - abbreviated as ctsb, ctsd, ctsl and lpl, respectively) could be associated with egg quality. In this study, we investigated differences in the expression of these genes between floating eggs and sinking eggs, and also the relationship between the gene expressions of the enzymes and fertilization rates in the fertilized eggs obtained from artificially matured female eels. Expressions of yolk processing enzyme genes did not show significant difference between floating and sinking egg groups. Expression of ctsb decreased when fertilization rate was high. Expression of ctsd, ctsl and lpl, however, did not show any significant differences. These results suggest that ctsb expression could be an indicator of egg quality, and that some proteins prone to be digested by ctsb could be very important in the process of fertilization and normal cleavage in this species. Further study should identify these critical proteins to improve our understanding on the quality of fish eggs.