Dietary fish oil alters DNA methylation of genes involved in polyunsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis in muscle and liver of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar)

Abstract

Abstract Adequate dietary supply of eicosapentanoic acid (20:5n-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n-3) is required to maintain health and growth of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). However, salmon can also convert α-linolenic acid (18:3n-3) to eicosapentanoic acid (20:5n-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n-3) by sequential desaturation and elongation reactions which can be modified by 20:5n-3 and 22:6n-3 intake. In mammals, dietary 20:5n-3 + 22:6n-3 intake can modify Fads2 expression (Δ6 desaturase) via altered DNA methylation of its promoter. Decreasing dietary fish oil has been shown to increase Δ5fad expression in salmon liver. However, it is not known whether this is associated with changes in the DNA methylation of genes involved in polyunsaturated fatty acid synthesis. To address this, we investigated whether changing the proportions of dietary fish oil (FO) and vegetable oil altered the DNA methylation of Δ6fad_b, Δ5fad, Elovl2 and Elovl5_b promoters in liver and muscle from Atlantic salmon and whether any changes were associated with mRNA expression. Higher dietary FO content increased the proportions of 20:5n-3 and 22:6n-3 and decreased Δ6fad_b mRNA expression in liver, but there was no effect on Δ5fad, Elovl2 and Elovl5_b expression. There were significant differences between liver and skeletal muscle in the methylation of individual CpG loci in all four genes studied. Methylation of individual Δ6fad_b CpG loci was related negatively to its expression and to proportions of 20:5n-3 and 22:6n-3 in liver. These findings suggest variations in dietary FO can induce gene, CpG locus and tissue-related changes in DNA methylation in salmon.

More information

Identifiers

ORCID for Karen Lillycrop: orcid.org/0000-0001-7350-5489

ORCID for Graham Burdge: orcid.org/0000-0002-7665-2967

Catalogue record

Export record

Altmetrics