Transgenic red carp (Cyprinus carpio) with LcMSTN1 propeptide: Enhanced growth and unchanged muscle fat content

Abstract Growth and meat quality are concerned issues in aquaculture. The inhibition of MSTN can lead to significant muscle proliferation in mammals, as well as a decrease in muscle fat content. In fish, the effect of MSTN inhibition on muscle fat content is ambiguous. In this study, we constructed transgenic red carp with Larimichthys crocea MSTN1 propeptide (LcMSTN1 propeptide) to study how the inhibition of MSTN1 affects the growth and muscle fat content in fish. Southern Blotting showed that LcMSTN1 propeptide was integrated into the red carp genome. In muscle tissue, the expression of MSTN1 propeptide in transgenic red carp was significantly higher than that of non-transgenic red carp (P