This study aimed to measure protein synthesis using a stable isotope method, investigate protein-nitrogen flux in a flatfish Pleuronectes flesus, and use the data to test the hypothesis that individual differences in growth efficiency were related to individual differences in protein-nitrogen flux mediated through differences in protein synthesis and degradation. Three measurements of protein-nitrogen flux via consumption, protein synthesis and nitrogenous excretion were made for individual flounder during a 212-day period and fractional rates of protein-nitrogen flux were scaled for a 50-g flounder to provide mean values for protein consumption (2-11 ± 0.21% day-1), protein synthesis (2.08 ± 0.23% day-1), protein growth (0.71 ± 0.06% day-1) and protein degradation (1.37 ± 0.24% day-1). Mean rates of nitrogenous excretion were 0.142 mg N g-1 day-1 and 0.047 mg N g-1 day-1 for ammonia and urea, respectively. Individual flounder had different protein growth efficiencies and this was correlated negatively and significantly with mean rates of protein synthesis (r= - 0.70; P<0.05) and degradation (r= - 0.67; P<0.05) and correlated positively and significantly with the efficiency of retaining synthesized protein (r+0.63, P<0.05). This supported the proposed hypothesis that flounder which grow more efficiently achieve this through adopting a low protein turnover strategy.

Item Type:	Refereed Article
Research Division:	Biological Sciences
Research Group:	Ecology
Research Field:	Marine and estuarine ecology (incl. marine ichthyology)
Objective Division:	Expanding Knowledge
Objective Group:	Expanding knowledge
Objective Field:	Expanding knowledge in the environmental sciences
UTAS Author:	Carter, CG (Professor Chris Carter)
ID Code:	14096
Year Published:	1998
Web of Science® Times Cited:	46
Deposited By:	TAFI - Aquaculture
Deposited On:	1998-08-01
Last Modified:	2011-08-09
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