Rumen microbiota regulates IMF deposition in Xizang sheep by activating the PPARγ transcription factor: a rumen-muscle axis perspective

作者：Cheng Pan, Junru Pan, Yangzong Zhaxi, Haiyan Li, Zhenzhen Zhang, Feng Guan, Jiacuo Jinmei, Zhaxi Baijiu, Sangzhu Baima, Quzhu Yixi, Tianzeng Song, Wangsheng Zhao · 发表于：mSystems · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1128/msystems.01557-24 · 被引用次数：5 · 研究领域：Ruminant Nutrition and Digestive Physiology、Cancer-related molecular mechanisms research、Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors

ABSTRACT The interaction between microbiota and muscle by the rumen-muscle axis and its impact on sheep meat flavor has received little attention. This study selected Xizang sheep under summer and autumn grazing conditions as models for different rumen bacteria and intramuscular fat (IMF) to attempt to address the current research gap. Specifically, the deposition characteristics of IMF and the expression of lipid metabolism genes in Xizang sheep were determined; 16S rDNA sequencing technology and gas chromatography were used to study the rumen microbiota and its metabolic products, short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs); RNA sequencing was used to identify the transcriptome of the rumen epithelium. Based on the above results, we proposed the hypothesis that the flavor of Xizang sheep meat is regulated by the microbiota-rumen-muscle axis. SCFAs produced in the rumen of Xizang sheep are absorbed by the rumen epithelium under the regulation of the solute carrier family genes ( SLC ). SCFAs can directly reach muscle tissue through the circulatory system and then activate the expression of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor Gamma ( PPARγ ) gene through the rumen-muscle axis. The expression of fat synthesis genes carnitine palmitoyltransferase II ( CPT2 ), fatty acid synthase ( FAS ), patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing 2 ( PNPLA2 ), and stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 ( SCD1 ) is correspondingly upregulated, promoting the deposition of IMF in Xizang sheep and thus affecti...