US rainbow trout research shows enhanced muscle growth

A 10-year effort by a University of Rhode Island scientist to develop transgenic rainbow trout has resulted in a fish with enhanced muscle growth, the school announced on Wednesday.

Terry Bradley, a URI professor of fisheries and aquaculture, said his research into the inhibition of myostatin, a protein that slows muscle growth, has obtained ''stunning'' results in the last two years -- the transgenic fish grow 15-20% more muscle mass than standard fish.

The number of muscle fibres in fish increases throughout their lifespan, and inhibiting myostatin increases the number of those fibres, resulting in an increase in muscle growth.

If the transgenic fish meet regulatory standards, it could boost the aquaculture industry by enabling the fish to grow larger without increasing the amount of food they eat.

''The results have significant implications for commercial aquaculture and provide completely novel information on the mechanisms of fish growth. The results also allow for comparisons between the mechanisms of growth of muscle in mammals versus fish,'' Bradley said.

He added that he will continue to study the fish to see if the new gene affects any other genes and to determine if new husbandry practices will aid in the raising of the trout.