BIOTECHNOLOGY

What is Atlantic Salmon Kinome and Why Is It Important for Aquaculture Innovation?

Santiago, Chile –

salmón con moléculas de enzimas

A landmark study led by the University of Chile has, for the first time, fully characterized the kinome of the Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), unveiling critical insights that could reshape the future of farming this cornerstone species of global aquaculture.

The kinome refers to the complete set of protein kinases in an organism – enzymes that regulate almost all cellular processes by adding phosphate groups to proteins. Kinases act as cellular “switches,” controlling growth, metabolism, immune responses, and muscle development. Understanding the kinome provides a functional map of how cells operate and respond to environmental and physiological signals.

The study, published in Aquaculture, establishes a fundamental resource for salmon biology and sets the stage for translational research aimed at productivity, sustainability, and fish welfare. For an industry under constant pressure to improve efficiency and resilience, the Atlantic salmon kinome represents a new frontier of precision aquaculture.

In aquaculture, muscle growth and health are paramount. The study revealed that salmon possess the most extensive kinome identified in any animal to date, with 1,294 kinase genes identified, including 1,157 eukaryotic protein kinases and 137 atypical protein kinases, as well as 96 pseudokinases.

That means that Atlantic salmon have a uniquely rich toolkit of cellular regulators, giving scientists an unprecedented opportunity to understand—and eventually harness—how this species grows, adapts, and responds to farming conditions.

A transcriptional analysis showed that kinase activity is tissue-specific, with unique expression patterns in gills, liver, brain, intestine, head kidney, and especially in muscle – the tissue of highest economic value. In muscle alone, 99 kinases were found more abundant and 53 less abundant compared to other tissues. These kinases are central to processes such as muscle differentiation and development, calcium signaling, MAPK pathway regulation, cytoskeletal dynamics, and muscle contraction.

Such functions are directly tied to growth performance, fillet quality, and resilience against stressors, making kinome knowledge highly relevant for selective breeding and nutritional strategies.

Beyond its implications for muscle biology, the mapping of the salmon kinome opens a wide range of biotechnological opportunities that could directly benefit aquaculture. Researchers believe this knowledge could speed up selective breeding by pinpointing kinases associated with growth and resilience to stress, offering a powerful tool for genetic improvement programs.

It could also transform feed strategies, as diets designed to influence specific kinase pathways may enhance both growth efficiency and overall fish health. The impact extends to disease management as well, since kinases play a central role in regulating immune responses; a deeper understanding of their function could pave the way for more effective approaches to strengthen salmon defenses against pathogens.

Finally, kinome insights may prove invaluable in helping producers anticipate and manage how salmon respond to environmental stressors such as temperature fluctuations and low oxygen levels, issues that are becoming increasingly pressing in modern aquaculture.

The authors state that “the characterization of the Atlantic salmon kinome provides an essential foundation for understanding salmon physiology and developing strategies that can benefit the aquaculture sector.”

Knowledge Applicable to Other Farmed Species

Protein kinases are highly conserved through evolution, meaning their basic roles in cell growth, metabolism, immune regulation, and stress responses are similar in many animals. In fact, the comparative analysis in the salmon study showed a strong overlap with the human kinome, underlining their universal importance.

For aquaculture, this means that insights into how kinases regulate muscle development, immunity, and environmental adaptation in salmon can provide a blueprint for studying and improving other commercially relevant fish, such as trout, tilapia, gilthead seabream, European sea bass, among others.

While each species has its own physiological particularities, the kinome framework offers a common language. Once mapped, it can guide selective breeding, nutrition design, and health strategies in a wide range of farmed species, helping the industry move toward more precise and resilient production systems.

Reference:

Vera-Tamargo, F., Galdames-Contreras, F., Hõdar, C., & Pulgar, R. (2026). Genome-wide prediction and gene expression profiling of the Atlantic Salmon Kinome. Aquaculture, 611, 743033. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aquaculture.2025.743033 

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