Scottish and Brazilian scientists are conducting a research on the striated muscle of pacu (Piaractus mesopotamicus) to study gene activity.
The project involves scientists from the Striated Muscle Biology Laboratory (LBME) of the Institute of Biosciences (IB), Botucatu Campus, and the Scottish Ocean Institute, University of St. Andrews.
The study will identify genes that control development and growth of the striated muscle of the resource.
From the information gathered, which has great economic importance to the Brazilian aquaculture, researchers hope to develop other studies.
The research is led by Professor Maeli Dal Pai Silva, Department of Morphology, IB, and Professor Ian Alistair Johnston, from the Scottish Institute.
As explained by Robson Francisco Carvalho, IB professor and member of the research team, the study of striated muscle in pacu will analyse the environmental and nutritional factors that can interfere with the growth of the resource.
The scientists will also analyse the expression profile of molecules regulating gene expression (microRNAs).
Meanwhile, another part of the process of sequencing and bioinformatics analysis will take place in Scotland, Planeta Universitario reported.
This study, completed in 2014, is funded by the Foundation for the Support of Research of the State of São Paulo (FAPESP), with BRL 372,000 (USD 216,000), and the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), with BRL 50,000 (USD 29,000).