Domestic selection of salmon increases economic yield and food security by selecting for specific traits. This causes genetic divergence between wild Atlantic and farmed salmon, leading to genetic consequences from hybridization. The authors work to examine how hybridization affects wild Atlantic salmon by comparing transcript patterns between wild, European (EO), and North American (NA) farmed strains. They used experimental crosses, microarray hybridization, and qPCR to measure gene transcript expression. Greater transcriptome differences between wild and EO farmed salmon were found compared to the NA strain. Genes related to metabolic, immune response, development, and oxygen transport processes were differentially expressed between populations. These findings suggest that gene transcription would be altered if interbreeding occurred between the different populations, due to variation in expressed genes. This can help researchers understand how interbreeding can affect the health of wild populations.

​

Still curious and want to learn more? Visit https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35243721/