Early concentrate starter introduction induces rumen epithelial parakeratosis by blocking keratinocyte differentiation with excessive ruminal butyrate accumulation

Rumen epithelial parakeratosis, a common disease in ruminants caused by abnormalities in the ruminal stratified squamous epithelial keratinization process, negatively impacts ruminant health and performance. While we still lack a comprehensive perception of the underlying mechanisms and the predisposing factors for this disorder.Here, we investigated rumen epithelial cell heterogeneity, differentiation trajectories, and cornification to clarify the rumen epithelial keratinization process RNA-Seq