Smoltification of Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar L.) Is Associated with Enhanced Traffic and Renewal of B Cell Repertoire

The smoltification of farmed Atlantic salmon is commonly associated with mild immunosuppression. However, B cells may deviate from this trend, showing increased proliferation and migration during this period. This study assessed the effects of smoltification and adaptation to seawater in a controlled experiment. Analyses were conducted on the head kidney, spleen, gill, and both visceral and subcutaneous fat (VAT, SAT) across four time points: parr, early and complete smoltification, and twelve weeks post-seawater transfer. Gene expression analysis was performed to track the distribution and developmental changes in their B cells. Expression profiles of three types of immunoglobulins (