Spatial transcriptomics is a technique that provides insight into gene expression profiles in tissue sections while retaining structural information. We have employed this method to study the pathological conditions related to red and melanized focal changes in farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). Our findings support a model where similar molecular mechanisms are involved in both red and melanized filet discolorations and genes associated with several relevant pathways show distinct expression patterns in both sample types. Interestingly, there appears to be significant cellular heterogeneity in the foci investigated when looking at gene expression patterns. Some of the genes that show differential spatial expression are involved in cellular processes such as hypoxia and immune responses, providing new insight into the nature of muscle melanization in Atlantic salmon.

空间转录组学是一种可以深入了解组织切片中基因表达谱同时保留结构信息的技术。我们采用这种方法来研究与养殖大西洋鲑鱼（Salmo salar）的红色和黑化病灶变化相关的病理状况。我们的研究结果支持一个模型，其中红色和黑化鱼片变色都涉及相似的分子机制，并且与几个相关途径相关的基因在两种样品类型中显示出不同的表达模式。有趣的是，在观察基因表达模式时，研究的病灶似乎存在显着的细胞异质性。一些表现出差异空间表达的基因涉及缺氧和免疫反应等细胞过程，为大西洋鲑鱼肌肉黑化的性质提供了新的见解。