IGFBP regulates the
growth-promoting effect of IGF-I. Three main types are found in the blood of Salmonids,
namely, IGFBP-2b, -1a, and -1b in descending order of molecular weight. These
are important in terms of their ability to regulate IGF-I activity. However, we
believe that these are also useful as growth indicators in terms of reflecting
growth status. As shown in the figure below, differences in the IGFBP patterns
in the blood can be observed when juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) are reared separately in a feeding group and fasting group. For
example, the amount of IGFBP-2b is high in the feeding group, whereas IGFBP-1b is
high in the fasting group. Using these IGFBPs together with IGF-I as the
positive and negative indicators of growth enables the possibility of more
accurately evaluating the growth rate of salmon. This is expected to improve
the efficiency of the aquaculture industry and hatchery release program.