USDA-NIFA recently awarded a $650,000 grant to Rex Dunham to genetically improve the overall genotype and phenotype of both channel catfish and a hybrid between channel catfish females and blue catfish males. Dunham is a professor in the School of Fisheries, Aquaculture & Aquatic Sciences at Auburn University.
This project addresses gene-editing, precision breeding of multiple traits, development of breeding strategies and crossbreeding for genetic enhancement that could bring positive results for the catfish industry, as both channel catfish and hybrid catfish are used in the industry.
One of the many project goals includes producing channel catfish and hybrid catfish transgenic for multiple fatty acid biosynthesis genes to increase the important nutrient, omega-3 fatty acids in catfish. Genes can interact so it is also important to determine the effect of these transgenes on other important traits including growth, body shape and texture, not just the fatty acid levels.
Another goal is to evaluate the replacement of mc4r, an energy receptor gene controlling growth, fat metabolism and reproduction, with desaturase/elongase genes to induce sterility and increase omega-3 fatty acid levels and growth rate. The last major goal is to determine if selection based on omega-3 fatty acid levels within the transgenic families will lead to further increases in omega-3 fatty acid levels.
Other researchers include Ian Butts, Baofeng Su, Timothy Bruce and Amit Morey, all of Auburn University.
