Hormonal control of migration in salmon

1989 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 01044162
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Overseas Scientific Survey.
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Institution: University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: HIRANO Tetsuya Ocean Research Institute, University of Tokyo, 海洋研究所, 教授 (70013571)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): IVES Vallota レンヌ大学, 分子生物学教室, 教授 ; PATRICK Prun フランス国立農林水産研究所(INRA), 主任研究員 ; IKUTA Kazumasa Ocean Research Institute, University of Tokyo, 海洋研究所, 特別研究員 (30201908) ; URANO Akihisa Ocean Research Institute, University of Tokyo, 海洋研究所, 助教授 (00142232) ; PRUNET Patrick Laboratory of Physiology, National Institute of Agriculture ; VALLOTAIRE Yves Department of Molecular Biology, University of Rennes
• Project Period (FY): 1989
• Keywords: Salmonid fish / Migration / Endocrine system / Growth hormone / Prolactin / Osmoregulation / Hormone receptors / Recombinant DNA

Research Abstract

The endocrine systems have important roles in controls of various aspects of fish migration. It is well accepted that, in salmonid fish, prolactin is a hormone necessary for fresh water adaptation, while growth hormone is responsible for seawater adaptation. Nonetheless, we do not know modes of actions of these hormones in migratory fish, mainly because of a lack of homologous hormones. Recent progress in molecular biology now makes it possible to have micro-organisms synthesize so-called recombinant hormones which in turn allow us to conduct receptor studies, such as a radio receptor assay (RRA). In the present project, we therefore tried to apply molecular techniques in a study on endocrine mechanisms of salmon migration. Since recombinant salmon growth hormone is available, a radio receptor assay system was rather easily established to examine physiological changes in its kinetics. Contrary, recombinant salmon prolactin is not available, so that tilapia whose hormone is available was used to establish prolactin RRA.