Expression of insulin-like growth factor I gene is involved in enhanced growth of juvenile four-spine sculpin Cottus kazika in seawater

To study the mechanism of faster growth of the sculpin Cottus kazika in seawater (SW) than in fresh water (FW), we transferred 120-day-old juveniles from FW to SW, 1/3 SW or FW, and survival, growth and levels of transcripts of growth hormone (GH) gene in the pituitary and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) gene in the liver were examined 20 and 40 days after transfer. The survival rates of fish reared in SW and 1/3 SW were higher than the FW controls. The growth was fastest in SW and slowest in the controls. IGF-I gene transcripts increased in SW-reared fish 40 days after transfer compared with the controls, while GH gene transcripts did not. Juveniles of 1 year of age were transferred from FW to SW or 1/3 SW, and GH and IGF-I gene transcripts were compared after 48 h. In this short-term experiment, the level of GH gene transcripts was higher in fish reared in SW and 1/3 SW, while no difference was found in the IGF-I gene transcripts. Thus, the GH gene transcripts increased only transiently after SW transfer but the IGF-I gene transcripts increased gradually for 40 days, suggesting that the long-term increase in IGF-I gene expression is involved in the enhanced growth in SW and GH may play an initiation role for growth enhancement.