mRNA stockpile and egg quality in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

The present experiment was designed in order to investigate possible correlations between the mRNA stockpile of specific transcripts and the developmental competence of the rainbow trout oocyte, estimated through embryonic survival and malformation occurrence. Post-ovulatory ageing was used as a tool to generate spawns of varying quality. Therefore, oocytes were sampled from individual females 5 or 21 days following ovulation, fertilized and incubated at 10 degreesC. Early development was monitored while the mRNA stockpile of each candidate transcripts was measured by real time RT-PCR. Results suggest that oocyte maternally-derived stores of IGF-I and IGF-II could possibly be used as markers of egg quality after post-ovulatory ageing.