Nonadditive expression of lipid metabolism pathway-related genes in intestine of hybrids of Nile tilapia females (Oreochromis niloticus) and blue tilapia males (Oreochromis aureus)

Nonadditive expression contributes to heterosis in hybrids. In this study, the expression profiles of twelve lipid metabolism pathway-related genes were investigated in the intestine of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) ♀?×?blue tilapia (Oreochromis aureus) ♂ hybrid. The expression of genes from the hybrid were assigned to nonadditive and additive expression pattern groups and compared with expression patterns from Nile tilapia and blue tilapia. In the intestine of the hybrid, apoA4B was expressed at intermediate levels, but apoB and MTP were assigned to ELD-B and ELD-N categories, respectively. The LPL and LRP1 showed transgressive up-regulation in the hybrid, but LDLR was assigned to the ELD-B category. For fatty acid uptake related genes, only FABP11a was categorized as nonadditive expression with transgressive up-regulation, while CD36 and FABP3 were categorized as additive expression in the intestine of the hybrid. Two genes in triacylglycerol metabolism, namely, FAS and DGAT2, showed transgressive up-regulation in the hybrid. Most of the genes analyzed in the present study showed nonadditive expression (8 in 12), and five genes showed transgressive up-regulation. These results indicated that the stimulation of lipid metabolism in the hybrid compared to that of its parents. The hyperactive expression of these genes in the hybrid may be associated with the growth and lipid usage vigor.