Data from: Comparative transcriptomics reveals domestication-associated features of Atlantic salmon lipid metabolism

Domestication of animals imposes strong targeted selection for desired
traits but can also result in unintended selection due to new domestic
environments. Atlantic salmon was domesticated in the 1970s and has
subsequently been selected for faster growth in systematic breeding
programmes. More recently, salmon aquaculture has replaced fish oils (FO)
with vegetable oils (VO) in feed, radically changing the levels of
essential long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA). Our aim was to
study the impact of domestication on metabolism and explore the hypothesis
that the shift to VO-diets has unintentionally selected for a
domestication-specific lipid metabolism. We conducted a 96-day feeding
trial of domesticated and wild salmon fed diets based on FO, VO or
phospholipids (PL), and compared transcriptomes and fatty acids in tissues
involved in lipid absorption (pyloric caeca) and lipid turnover and
synthesis (liver). Domesticated salmon had faster growth and higher gene
expression in glucose and lipid metabolism compared to wild fish, possibly
linked to differences in regulation of circadian rhythm pathways. Only the
domesticated salmon increased expression of LC-PUFA synthesis genes when
given VO. This transcriptome response difference was mirrored at the
physiological level, with domesticated salmon having higher LC-PUFA but
lower 18:3n-3 and 18:2n-6 levels. In line with this, the VO diet decreased
growth rate in wild but not domesticated salmon. Our study revealed a
clear impact of domestication on transcriptomic regulation linked to
metabolism and suggests that unintentional selection in the
domestic-environment has resulted in evolution of stronger compensatory
mechanisms to a diet low in LC-PUFA.