Carotenoid dynamics in Atlantic salmon
Abstract Background Carotenoids are pigment molecules produced mainly in plants and heavily exploited by a wide range of organisms higher up in the food-chain. The fundamental processes regulating how carotenoids are absorbed and metabolized in vertebrates are still not fully understood. We try to f...
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ftbiomed:oai:biomedcentral.com:1741-7007-4-10 2023-05-15T15:31:45+02:00 Carotenoid dynamics in Atlantic salmon Rajasingh, Hannah Øyehaug, Leiv Våge, Dag Omholt, Stig W 2006-04-18 http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7007/4/10 en eng BioMed Central Ltd. http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7007/4/10 Copyright 2006 Rajasingh et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. Research article 2006 ftbiomed 2007-11-11T15:31:07Z Abstract Background Carotenoids are pigment molecules produced mainly in plants and heavily exploited by a wide range of organisms higher up in the food-chain. The fundamental processes regulating how carotenoids are absorbed and metabolized in vertebrates are still not fully understood. We try to further this understanding here by presenting a dynamic ODE (ordinary differential equation) model to describe and analyse the uptake, deposition, and utilization of a carotenoid at the whole-organism level. The model focuses on the pigment astaxanthin in Atlantic salmon because of the commercial importance of understanding carotenoid dynamics in this species, and because deposition of carotenoids in the flesh is likely to play an important life history role in anadromous salmonids. Results The model is capable of mimicking feed experiments analyzing astaxanthin uptake and retention over short and long time periods (hours, days and years) under various conditions. A sensitivity analysis of the model provides information on where to look for possible genetic determinants underlying the observed phenotypic variation in muscle carotenoid retention. Finally, the model framework is used to predict that a specific regulatory system controlling the release of astaxanthin from the muscle is not likely to exist, and that the release of the pigment into the blood is instead caused by the androgen-initiated autolytic degradation of the muscle in the sexually mature salmon. Conclusion The results show that a dynamic model describing a complex trait can be instrumental in the early stages of a project trying to uncover underlying determinants. The model provides a heuristic basis for an experimental research programme, as well as defining a scaffold for modelling carotenoid dynamics in mammalian systems. Article in Journal/Newspaper Atlantic salmon BioMed Central |
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Open Polar |
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BioMed Central |
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ftbiomed |
language |
English |
description |
Abstract Background Carotenoids are pigment molecules produced mainly in plants and heavily exploited by a wide range of organisms higher up in the food-chain. The fundamental processes regulating how carotenoids are absorbed and metabolized in vertebrates are still not fully understood. We try to further this understanding here by presenting a dynamic ODE (ordinary differential equation) model to describe and analyse the uptake, deposition, and utilization of a carotenoid at the whole-organism level. The model focuses on the pigment astaxanthin in Atlantic salmon because of the commercial importance of understanding carotenoid dynamics in this species, and because deposition of carotenoids in the flesh is likely to play an important life history role in anadromous salmonids. Results The model is capable of mimicking feed experiments analyzing astaxanthin uptake and retention over short and long time periods (hours, days and years) under various conditions. A sensitivity analysis of the model provides information on where to look for possible genetic determinants underlying the observed phenotypic variation in muscle carotenoid retention. Finally, the model framework is used to predict that a specific regulatory system controlling the release of astaxanthin from the muscle is not likely to exist, and that the release of the pigment into the blood is instead caused by the androgen-initiated autolytic degradation of the muscle in the sexually mature salmon. Conclusion The results show that a dynamic model describing a complex trait can be instrumental in the early stages of a project trying to uncover underlying determinants. The model provides a heuristic basis for an experimental research programme, as well as defining a scaffold for modelling carotenoid dynamics in mammalian systems. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Rajasingh, Hannah Øyehaug, Leiv Våge, Dag Omholt, Stig W |
spellingShingle |
Rajasingh, Hannah Øyehaug, Leiv Våge, Dag Omholt, Stig W Carotenoid dynamics in Atlantic salmon |
author_facet |
Rajasingh, Hannah Øyehaug, Leiv Våge, Dag Omholt, Stig W |
author_sort |
Rajasingh, Hannah |
title |
Carotenoid dynamics in Atlantic salmon |
title_short |
Carotenoid dynamics in Atlantic salmon |
title_full |
Carotenoid dynamics in Atlantic salmon |
title_fullStr |
Carotenoid dynamics in Atlantic salmon |
title_full_unstemmed |
Carotenoid dynamics in Atlantic salmon |
title_sort |
carotenoid dynamics in atlantic salmon |
publisher |
BioMed Central Ltd. |
publishDate |
2006 |
url |
http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7007/4/10 |
genre |
Atlantic salmon |
genre_facet |
Atlantic salmon |
op_relation |
http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7007/4/10 |
op_rights |
Copyright 2006 Rajasingh et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. |
_version_ |
1766362275585720320 |