Brain-associated alterations of Hippo pathway transcription in early maturing Atlantic salmon
Abstract Background Pubertal timing is a key life history trait, shaped by ecological pressures to balance reproductive success and survival. Emerging evidence suggests a link between adiposity and early maturation, potentially through hormonal signaling pathways governing puberty timing. The timing...
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BMC
2025-05-01
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| Series: | BMC Ecology and Evolution |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12862-025-02398-4 |
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| author | Ehsan Pashay Ahi Jukka-Pekka Verta Johanna Kurko Annukka Ruokolainen Pooja Singh Paul Vincent Debes Jaakko Erkinaro Craig R. Primmer |
| author_facet | Ehsan Pashay Ahi Jukka-Pekka Verta Johanna Kurko Annukka Ruokolainen Pooja Singh Paul Vincent Debes Jaakko Erkinaro Craig R. Primmer |
| author_sort | Ehsan Pashay Ahi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Pubertal timing is a key life history trait, shaped by ecological pressures to balance reproductive success and survival. Emerging evidence suggests a link between adiposity and early maturation, potentially through hormonal signaling pathways governing puberty timing. The timing of sexual maturation in Atlantic salmon has a strong genetic basis in addition to being linked with environmental shifts and lipid reserves. A gene encoding a co-factor of the Hippo pathway, vgll3, is a major determinant of maturation timing in salmon. The Hippo pathway is known for its evolutionary conserved molecular signal role in both sexual maturation and adipogenesis. Results In this study, we tested the expression of Hippo pathway genes in the brain of immature and mature male Atlantic salmon carrying either the early or the late maturation genotype of vgll3. We found increased brain expression of a major Hippo pathway kinase (lats1b) in individuals with early maturation genotypes of vgll3 before maturation development of testes was evident. Moreover, we found components and regulating partners of the Hippo pathway showing differential expression in brain of individuals with early and late vgll3 genotypes prior to maturation. This may suggest a role for the Hippo pathway in central nervous system processes that regulate the preparation for maturation. Conclusions This study characterizes transcriptional changes in components of the Hippo pathway in the brain in relation to vgll3-mediated early maturation in Atlantic salmon, highlighting the potential involvement of this pathway in the central regulation of maturation prior to gonadal development. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-5e52a68f56b84bbd8e3b019f6dfd34dc |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2730-7182 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj-art-5e52a68f56b84bbd8e3b019f6dfd34dc2025-08-20T03:16:39ZengBMCBMC Ecology and Evolution2730-71822025-05-0125111610.1186/s12862-025-02398-4Brain-associated alterations of Hippo pathway transcription in early maturing Atlantic salmonEhsan Pashay Ahi0Jukka-Pekka Verta1Johanna Kurko2Annukka Ruokolainen3Pooja Singh4Paul Vincent Debes5Jaakko Erkinaro6Craig R. Primmer7Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of HelsinkiFaculty of Biosciences and Aquaculture, Nord UniversityOrganismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of HelsinkiOrganismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of HelsinkiDepartment of Aquatic Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of BernOrganismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of HelsinkiNatural Resources Institute Finland (Luke)Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of HelsinkiAbstract Background Pubertal timing is a key life history trait, shaped by ecological pressures to balance reproductive success and survival. Emerging evidence suggests a link between adiposity and early maturation, potentially through hormonal signaling pathways governing puberty timing. The timing of sexual maturation in Atlantic salmon has a strong genetic basis in addition to being linked with environmental shifts and lipid reserves. A gene encoding a co-factor of the Hippo pathway, vgll3, is a major determinant of maturation timing in salmon. The Hippo pathway is known for its evolutionary conserved molecular signal role in both sexual maturation and adipogenesis. Results In this study, we tested the expression of Hippo pathway genes in the brain of immature and mature male Atlantic salmon carrying either the early or the late maturation genotype of vgll3. We found increased brain expression of a major Hippo pathway kinase (lats1b) in individuals with early maturation genotypes of vgll3 before maturation development of testes was evident. Moreover, we found components and regulating partners of the Hippo pathway showing differential expression in brain of individuals with early and late vgll3 genotypes prior to maturation. This may suggest a role for the Hippo pathway in central nervous system processes that regulate the preparation for maturation. Conclusions This study characterizes transcriptional changes in components of the Hippo pathway in the brain in relation to vgll3-mediated early maturation in Atlantic salmon, highlighting the potential involvement of this pathway in the central regulation of maturation prior to gonadal development.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12862-025-02398-4Gene expressionAtlantic salmonvgll3Hippo pathwayBrainEarly maturation |
| spellingShingle | Ehsan Pashay Ahi Jukka-Pekka Verta Johanna Kurko Annukka Ruokolainen Pooja Singh Paul Vincent Debes Jaakko Erkinaro Craig R. Primmer Brain-associated alterations of Hippo pathway transcription in early maturing Atlantic salmon BMC Ecology and Evolution Gene expression Atlantic salmon vgll3 Hippo pathway Brain Early maturation |
| title | Brain-associated alterations of Hippo pathway transcription in early maturing Atlantic salmon |
| title_full | Brain-associated alterations of Hippo pathway transcription in early maturing Atlantic salmon |
| title_fullStr | Brain-associated alterations of Hippo pathway transcription in early maturing Atlantic salmon |
| title_full_unstemmed | Brain-associated alterations of Hippo pathway transcription in early maturing Atlantic salmon |
| title_short | Brain-associated alterations of Hippo pathway transcription in early maturing Atlantic salmon |
| title_sort | brain associated alterations of hippo pathway transcription in early maturing atlantic salmon |
| topic | Gene expression Atlantic salmon vgll3 Hippo pathway Brain Early maturation |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12862-025-02398-4 |
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