title: Growth enhancement of shrimp (Litopenaeus schmitti) after transfer of tilapia growth hormone gene.
abstract: Electroporation of Litopenaeus schmitti embryos was used to transfer the pE300tiGH15 plasmid that contains the tilapia growth hormone gene (tiGH) complexed with a nuclear localization signal peptide into the zygotes. The gene construct was detected in 35 (36%) of the 98 larvae screened by PCR and Southern blot analyses. Western blot analyses revealed that 34% of the screened larvae expressed a single tiGH-specific band with the expected molecular mass (23.1 kDa). The development index and larval length indicated a significant growth enhancement from day 3 on after electroporation, with an average of 32% of the growth enhancement. To our knowledge, this is the first report on gene transfer enhanced growth in crustaceans.
authors.affiliation: Center of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, P.O. Box 387, ZIP 70100, Camaguey 1, Cuba. amilcar.arenal@cigb.edu.cu
authors.forename: Amilcar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arenal
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pimentel
authors.forename: Eulogio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pimentel
authors.forename: Leonardo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Martín
authors.forename: Dayamí
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Santiesteban
authors.forename: Ramón
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Franco
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Aleström
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D018274:Electroporation; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000378:metabolism; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D024861:Genetic Enhancement; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000235:genetics*; D019913:Nuclear Localization Signals / Q000235:genetics; D033561:Penaeidae / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development*; D010957:Plasmids; D017210:Tilapia / Q000235:genetics*; D013997:Time Factors; D019076:Transgenes
chemical_list: D019913:Nuclear Localization Signals; D013006:Growth Hormone