Direct and pleiotropic effects of the Masou Salmon Delta-5 Desaturase transgene in F1 channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus)

Channel catfish ( Ictalurus punctatus ) is the primary culture species in the US along with its hybrid made with male blue catfish, I. furcatus . In an effort to improve the nutritional value of channel catfish, the masou salmon Δ5-desaturase like gene (D5D) driven by the common carp beta-actin promoter (βactin) was inserted into channel catfish. The objectives of this study were to determine the effectiveness of βactin-D5D for improving n-3 fatty acid production in F1 transgenic channel catfish, as well as examine pleiotropic effects on growth, proximate analysis, disease resistance, and other performance traits. Transgenic F1 channel catfish showed a 33% increase in the relative proportion of n-3 fatty acids coupled with a 15% decrease in n-6 fatty acids and a 17% decrease in n-9 fatty acids when compared to non-transgenic full-siblings ( P