CRISPR Gene Editing Increases Rainbow Trout Weight by 56%

Researchers from Ataturk University, Turkey and partners have found that CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing can significantly increase the growth of rainbow trout by disrupting the myostatin gene, mstnb1. The study showed that edited rainbow trout developed substantially greater body weight than unedited fish, highlighting the potential of gene editing to improve production efficiency in aquaculture.

The researchers used two guide RNAs targeting the first exon of mstnb1 and injected them into fertilized rainbow trout eggs. Although only 23.5% of the injected embryos survived to the swim-up stage, Sanger sequencing confirmed successful mutations in the resulting F0 fish. The fish were then monitored for growth over a 10-month period and compared with a wild-type control group.

The edited rainbow trout showed a 56% increase in body weight, reaching an average of 825.0 grams compared with 464.1 grams in the control group. The researchers said the results demonstrate that disrupting mstnb1 can produce substantial improvements in overall body growth, rather than only changes in muscle characteristics. The findings suggest that CRISPR-Cas9 could help shorten production time and reduce costs in sustainable rainbow trout farming.

For more information, read the study in the Journal of the World Aquaculture Society.