COMPARATIVE GENETICS AND GENOMICS OF ATLANTIC SALMON ( SALMO SALAR L.) POPULATIONS IN NORWAY AND IRAQ

The aquaculture industry, spearheading the "blue revolution," relies significantly on Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.), a crucial economic and ecological asset. This study offers a comprehensive insight into the genetic and genomic landscape of Atlantic salmon populations in Norway and Iraq, crucial for sustainable aquaculture practices. Supporting recent advancements in genetics and genomics, we investigated key genes, sexually dimorphic on the Y-chromosome (sdY) and vestigial-like protein 3 (vgll3), essential for physiological maturation. Utilizing next-generation sequencing and genotyping techniques, we analyzed 20 samples each from Norwegian and Iraqi populations. We successfully amplified and sequenced sdY and vgll3 gene fragments, revealing significant genetic variations. Multiple sequence alignment and variant analysis uncovered notable differences in amino acid sequences between the two populations, shedding light on their evolutionary divergence. This research contributes to the understanding of salmon genetics and informs sustainable aquaculture practices globally. Furthermore, the data generated from this study have been deposited in GenBank for broader accessibility and future research endeavors.