肉嫩味鲜的鲫鱼，因为刺小又多而影响食用和加工。不过，这个困扰人们已久的问题或许已找到解决方案，吃鱼不挑刺将不再是梦！

近日，中国水产科学研究院黑龙江研究所（Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences" Heilongjiang Fishery Research Institute）使用基因编辑育种方法培育出无肌间刺（俗称鱼刺）的鲫鱼第三代群体，剔除了鲫鱼体内肌间刺，只留下了脊椎和大的骨骼。此项研究标志着我国水产动物遗传育种领域在理论和技术层面取得了重大突破。

Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences" Heilongjiang Fishery Research Institute have cultivated the world"s first crucian carp without intermuscular bones, marking a major theoretical and technical breakthrough in aquaculture genetic breeding.

野生鲫鱼和无肌间骨的显微CT骨骼扫描的比较

(资料图片仅供参考)

鲫鱼是一种鱼鳞坚硬、鱼刺小且多的淡水鱼，常见于东欧和亚洲地区。正因如此，鲫鱼难以进行大规模的食用和加工。通过基因方法去除肌间骨可有效解决这一难题，开辟广泛的商业机会。

The crucian carp is a tough-skinned, bony freshwater fish that is predominantly eaten in Eastern Europe and Asia. However, its tiny, intermuscular bones make it difficult to eat and process on an industrial scale. Genetically removing the intermuscular bones could open up extensive commercial opportunities.

图源：视觉中国

据悉，自2009年起，该研究所就在国内率先开展鲤科鱼类肌间刺选育研究，这里的研究员笑着表示：“很多人有被鱼刺卡喉的经历，所以我想培育出无刺鱼，这可能是将来大宗鱼类产业发展的一个方向。”

研究团队首先确定了大概方向，从生命的“密码”——基因入手，从鱼刺中提取出肌间刺相关的1600多个候选基因。2018年，他们利用基因编辑技术鉴定到bmp6基因，率先应用于斑马鱼，在国际上首次获得无肌间刺斑马鱼突变体。从2019年开始，他们将bmp6基因应用于鲤科鱼类无肌间刺种质创制。

A research team at the institute started a project to tackle the problem in 2009 and identified the key gene, from 1,600 candidate genes, that controls the growth of the fish"s intermuscular spine. Biologists were able to knock out the gene, named bmp6, without affecting the fish"s growth and reproduction.

图源：科技日报

该团队专业方向带头人匡友谊带领课题组成员开始了漫长的鱼类肌间刺发育机制研究。他表示，2020年团队成功培育了第一代无肌间骨鲫鱼，成功率为12.96%，2021年的第二代成功率为19%，2022年初完成了无肌间刺鲫鱼规模化繁育，在哈尔滨试验基地获得发育正常的无肌间刺鲫鱼第三代群体2万余尾，无刺比例100%。

"In 2020, we successfully cultivated the first generation of crucian carp without intermuscular bones with a success rate of 12.96 percent. The second generation in 2021 had a success rate of 19 percent," said Kuang Youyi, a researcher on the team. "At the beginning of 2022, we released around 20,000 fish of the third generation in our test base in Harbin, capital of Heilongjiang province, and began large-scale breeding."

图源：科技日报

从表面看，无肌间骨鲫鱼和正常鲫鱼并没有什么区别。该研究所表示，这项新技术采用基因编辑技术创制出无肌间刺鲤科鱼类（boneless gene-edited carp）新种质，结束了半个多世纪以来关于肌间刺是否可选育的全球争论。

The new variety, which was created using gene editing, ends a global debate for more than 50 years on whether intermuscular bones can be reproduced, according to the institute.

一种新品种鱼类从培育到市场化生产、养殖、上市，还需要经过严格的试验性评估以及国家有关部门按照相关制度进行的严格审批。只有完成了这些之后，才能考虑进行生产性推广。不过，研究团队仍旧充满信心。团队表示，这可以极大地改变全球鱼类的饮食文化和习惯，对未来促进水产品消费产生深远影响。

"People will no longer have to pick out tiny fish bones," said the team. "This can greatly change the global fish diet culture and habits, and have a profound impact on boosting consumption of aquatic products in the future.

“无肌间骨鲫鱼遗传改良是具有中国特色的养殖业的大胆创新，是解决鲫鱼产量大、效率低的有效途径，将迅速提升我国养殖业的核心竞争力，引领中国水产动物遗传育种的变革。”

"The genetic improvement of crucian carp without intermuscular bones is a bold innovation in the breeding industry with Chinese characteristics," said Li. "It is an effective way to solve the problem of having a large quantity but a low efficiency in crucian carp production, which will rapidly improve the core competitiveness of our breeding industry and lead the reform of Chinese aquaculture."

图源：视觉中国

在研究过程中，团队充分考虑了新品种的生物安全性。研究员匡友谊称，自年初以来，团队一直在进行生态安全评估，包括它们的游泳能力、抗冻能力和繁殖能力，以及被捕食的风险。

"Since the year"s beginning, we have been carrying out ecological security assessments, including on their abilities in swimming, frost-resistance and breeding, and the risk of being preyed upon," said Kuang.

匡友谊表示，“我们正在进行不育品种的开发，这可以帮助消除基因编辑鱼类在野外可能造成的影响。”目前，新品种的研发工作仍在进行中，预计2025年完成研究。

"We are conducting the development on a sterile variety, which can help eliminate possible impacts caused by gene-edited fish in the wild." The team expects to complete its research by 2025, he added.

吃鱼不再有吐刺烦恼，你期待“无刺鲫鱼”被端上餐桌吗？

记者：周慧颖

编辑：朱迪齐

实习生：李嘉薇 王雨凡

来源：中国日报 科技日报 红星新闻 新晚报 中国水产科学研究院黑龙江水产研究所