Am. Kvingedal et al., TRANSFERRIN MESSENGER-RNA IN RELATION TO LIVER IRON STORAGE IN FARMEDATLANTIC SALMON (SALMO-SALAR), Fish physiology and biochemistry, 15(4), 1996, pp. 317-322
Transferrin mRNA in liver was quantified in farmed Atlantic salmon (Sa
lmo salar) fed three different levels (310-, 65-, and 40 ppm) of dieta
ry iron for 26 weeks. At the time of sampling, the fish fed 40 ppm iro
n showed symptoms of iron deficiency. Mean values of liver storage iro
n was reduced from 84 to 12 mg kg(-1) and plasma iron from 2.3 to 1.6
mg l(-1) compared with fish fed 310 ppm iron. No significant differenc
e in transferrin mRNA was observed between normal and iron deficient s
almon; the amount of Tf mRNA was not related to the amount of stored i
ron, either in groups or individual fish. This suggests that there is
no iron-modulated transcriptional regulation of liver Tf expression in
salmon as there is in chickens and rats.