Abstract
Vitellogenin, a female-specific serum protein, as a carrier of carotenoid was studied using chum salmon, Oncorhynchus keta.
Levels of carotenoid in muscle markedly decreased during spawning migration, while serum carotenoid increased markedly. Vitellogenin appeared in the serum at the start of spawning migration and disappeared during upstream migration. Appreciable amounts of a carotenoid, probably astaxanthin, was bound to the Vitellogenin. The ovaries of chum salmon matured during spawning migration. During upstream migration, the ovaries had much carotenoid.
These results suggested that Vitellogenin might be closely related to the transport of carotenoid from muscle into the ovaries.
