Wnt/β-catenin signaling participates in the regulation of lipogenesis in the liver of juvenile turbot (Scophthalmus maximus L.).

In this study, the mechanism that Wnt/β-catenin signaling inhibits lipogenesis was investigated in the liver of juvenile turbot (Scophthalmus maximus L.) by LiCl or XAV939 treatment. Wnt/β-catenin signaling was activated by LiCl treatment or inhibited by XAV939 treatment through regulating the expression of glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) and Wnt10b. In addition, the expression of lipoprotein lipase (LPL), fatty acid synthetase (FAS), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ), and CCAAT/enhancer binding protein α (C/EBPα) was inhibited by LiCl treatment, but induced by XAV939 treatment. In the plasma of juvenile turbot, the level of nonesterified fatty acid (NEFA), glycerol, triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) was decreased by LiCl treatment, which was related to the decrease of the activity of LPL and FAS. Thus the inhibitory effect of Wnt/β-catenin signaling on lipogenesis was associated with the expression of key enzymes and transcriptional factors. Wnt/β-catenin signaling may participate in inhibiting lipogenesis by inhibiting the expression of PPARγ and C/EBPα in the liver of juvenile turbot.