Correlation with larval body size of mRNA levels of growth hormone, growth hormone receptor I and insulin-like growth factor I in larval torafugu Takifugu rubripes.

The full-length of insulin-like growth factor (IGF) complementary (c)DNAs encoded by igf-I and igf-II from torafugu pufferfish Takifugu rubripes were cloned in the present study. The deduced amino acid sequences of the two genes showed c. 80% identity each with those of Igf-I and Igf-II from other teleosts, respectively. Two growth hormone (GH) receptors, ghr1 and ghr2, were also cloned in silico using the T. rubripes Fugu genome database. The transcripts of T. rubripes igf-I were detected in slow muscle, heart, skin, gill, liver and intestine but not in fast muscle, spleen and testis of adult fish, whereas those of igf-II were found in all tissues examined. Subsequently, the accumulated messenger (m)RNA levels of igf-I and igf-II were investigated in an F(2) population derived from a male of an apparent fast-growing T. rubripes strain and a wild female T. rubripes together with those of other growth-related genes encoding Gh, Ghr1 and Ghr2, and with those of prolactin (Prl) and leptin (Lep) previously reported. The accumulated mRNA levels of igf-I, gh and ghr1 were significantly correlated to growth rate at larval stages in the population, but not for those of igf-II, prl, ghr2 and lep. Although it is unclear whether or not this phenotype is directly related to the heredity of the fast-growing strain, the findings suggest that the expression of igf-I, gh and ghr1 is involved in the regulation of growth rate at larval stages in T. rubripes.

Mucus pH of the tiger puffer Takifugu rubripes is an important factor for host identification by the monogenean Heterobothrium okamotoi.

We examined a host-finding factor of the monogenean Heterobothrium okamotoi oncomiracidia to develop an alternative prophylaxis. H. okamotoi oncomiracidia attached preferentially to gill filaments and skin mucus from the tiger puffer Takifugu rubripes compared with corresponding material from other tested fishes (amber jack Seriola dumerili, red sea bream Pagrus major, Japanese flounder Paralichthys olivaceus and spotted halibut Verasper variegatus). The body mucus pH of the tiger puffer was 6.40 +/- 0.09 (mean +/- S.D.), whereas that for the other tested fishes was 7.2-7.4. To find if this difference in pH could account for the specific targeting of tiger puffer by H. okamotoi oncomiracidia, the attachment response of the oncomiracidia to pieces of agar buffered at various pH between 6.0 and 7.4 was examined. The number of attaching oncomiracidia was maximal at pH 6.4. We produced gynogenetic tiger puffers from a single female. These gynogenetic individuals showed a variety of body mucus pH and they were exposed to the oncomiracidia. Thirteen days after exposure, more young H. okamotoi were found on the gills of gynogenetic tiger puffer with mucus at pH 6.3-6.6, than on gills of fish with mucus at pH 6.0-6.3 and 6.6-7.2. H. okamotoi exploits the body mucus pH to identify the host. The simplicity of pH as a lure may lead to development of a simple and economical method to control H. okamotoi outbreaks.