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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #303000
Title: Role and function of short chain fatty acids in rumen epithelial metabolism, development and importance of the rumen epithelium in understanding control of transcriptome

Author
item Baldwin, Ransom - Randy
item MCLEOD, KYLE - University Of Kentucky

Submitted to: Butyrate: Food Sources, Functions and Health Benefits
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/7/2014
Publication Date: 4/1/2014
Citation: Baldwin, R.L., Mcleod, K.R. 2014. Role and function of short chain fatty acids in rumen epithelial metabolism, development and importance of the rumen epithelium in understanding control of transcriptome. In: Congjun, Li, Editor. Butyrate: Food Sources, Functions and Health Benefits. New York, NY: Nova Science Publishers. p. 119-218.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The epithelial lining of the rumen is uniquely placed to have impact on the nutrient metabolism of the animal. The symbiotic relationship with the microbial populations that inhabit the rumen, serves to provide a constant supply of nutrients from roughage that would otherwise be unusable. Metabolically the tissue serves as a protective yet permeable barrier to diffusion of end products of fermented feedstuffs, but cannot simply be considered as a sieve. The tissue structure, metabolism and the development are all functions of the symbiosis with the rumen environment. The interplay between the use of short chain fatty acids (SCFA) and their concomitant effect on this organ are characteristics make the rumen epithelium a tissue of great interest to not only the animal science community but also those studying colonic health. Moreover, epigenetic and transcriptomic control exerted by SCFA need to be understood in order to develop better feeding paradigms for our production animals and aid in our understanding of gastrointestinal tissue health. Physically, metabolically and developmentally this tissue has served to provide great insight into the metabolic and transcriptomic control of mammalian gene expression. The continued study of this unique tissue will also provide insight into the epigenetic responses dictating long term changes in function of this dynamic tissue. To use this model system, it is important to understand its unique character as an organ.