Effect of ovarian stage on plasma vitellogenin and calcium in cultured white sturgeon

J. Linares-Casenave, K.J. Kroll, J.P. Van Eenennaam, S.I. Doroshov-2003
Aquaculture, 221(1-4): 645-656
Abstract:

We developed an enzyme immunoassay for plasma vitellogenin (VTG) of white sturgeon Acipenser transmontanus, cultured in California. The assay, based on polyclonal rabbit antibody to purified VTG, was tested for specificity and applied on sturgeon broodstocks (age 4–12 years) reared at three locations. Plasma VTG concentrations were correlated with total plasma calcium and stage of ovarian maturity. Females in the previtellogenic ovarian stage and at the onset of yolk deposition had low VTG concentrations, but plasma VTG and calcium increased after onset of yolk deposition in the oocytes. Total plasma calcium exhibited a linear relationship with plasma VTG. Concentrations of both metabolites in plasma discriminate previtellogenic and vitellogenic females, but fail to discriminate specific stage of ovarian vitellogenesis. The immunoassay for plasma VTG or flame photometry for total plasma calcium can be utilized to segregate vitellogenic females in cultured sturgeon broodstocks.

(Department of Animal Science, University of California, One Shield Avenue, Davis, CA 95616-8521, USA, e-mail of S.I. Doroshov: sidoroshov@ucdavis.edu)

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