Gene structure, recombinant expression and function characterization of Siniperca chuatsi Fsrp-3

Area of Science:

• Aquaculture
• Fish biology
• Molecular biology

Background:

• Follistatin-related protein 3 (Fsrp-3) is a protein with suggested roles in growth.
• Understanding Fsrp-3 in fish is crucial for aquaculture and muscle development research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize the follistatin-related protein 3 (Fsrp-3) in Chinese mandarin fish (Siniperca chuatsi).
• To investigate the function of Fsrp-3 in regulating muscle growth in S. chuatsi.

Main Methods:

• Determined the cDNA sequence and characterized the molecular structure of S. chuatsi Fsrp-3.
• Utilized quantitative reverse-transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) to analyze fsrp-3 mRNA expression patterns.
• Administered purified Fsrp-3 protein to mandarin fish muscle to assess its effects on muscle fiber characteristics and gene expression.

Main Results:

• Fsrp-3 mRNA was highly expressed in the heart and intestine and increased with fish growth.
• Injection of Fsrp-3 protein significantly altered muscle fiber cross-sectional area, satellite cell activation, and nuclear density.
• Fsrp-3 treatment upregulated myogenic regulatory factors and downregulated myostatin expression.

Conclusions:

• Fsrp-3 plays a significant role in promoting muscle growth in S. chuatsi.
• Fsrp-3 may exert its function by regulating myogenic regulatory factors and antagonizing myostatin, thereby initiating satellite cell activation and differentiation.