Fast growth, protein turnover and costs of protein metabolism in yolk-sac larvae of the African catfish (Clarias gariepinus)

In fish larvae the costs of rapid growth may be accommodated by a decrease in the rate of protein turnover or by a reduction in the costs of protein synthesis. Protein growth, synthesis and degradation were measured in yolk-sac larvae of Clarias gariepinus and the costs of protein synthesis and protein growth were estimated. Growth rates were over 100% protein weight day^-1. Protein synthesis retention efficiency (retained protein per unit of synthesis) was estimated to be 69.6%, a value comparable to that of larger fish. The larvae used 43% of their oxygen consumption for protein synthesis. Nevertheless, protein synthesis costs were close to theoretical minima. Therefore, the high growth rates of catfish yolk-sac larvae seem to be possible through minimisation of the costs of protein synthesis. These low costs are associated with high rates of protein synthesis (138%protein weight day^-1), and elevated RNA concentrations (107 µg RNA mg^-1protein), which together suggest very high RNA efficiencies (12.9 g protein synthesized g^-1RNA day^-1).