The growth of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) myosatellite cells in culture at two different temperatures.

Temperature is known to affect fish growth, and in Atlantic salmon there is an influence on muscle cellularity. Primary muscle cell culture makes it possible to investigate direct effects of temperature on myogenic cells. Salmon myosatellite cells were cultured for the first time in this study. The cells were cultured at either 5 degrees C or 11 degrees C. Increased temperature led to an increase in differentiation rate and especially hypertrophic growth (Q10 = 4.0). No nuclear proliferation was evident in the satellite cell population isolated at either temperature. This may be due to the presence of different subpopulations of myogenic cells at different developmental ages or the presence of indirect factors in vivo.