Abstract
Some fundamental microbiology and biochemistry of peptide breakdown in the rumen is described. Peptides are extensively broken down in the rumen and only small quantities of peptide-N were found in rumen fluid from sheep 7 h after feeding. The main determinant affecting the rate of hydrolysis of different peptides added to rumen fluid in vitro was the structure of the N-terminus of the peptide chain. Neutral and basic peptides also tended to be hydrolysed more rapidly than acidic peptides. Peptide hydrolysis was carried out mainly by rumen bacteria, apparently by a dipeptidyl peptidase type I (DP-1) mechanism. Bacteroides ruminicola was the only rumen bacterial species found to possess significant DP-1 activity.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | The Rumen Ecosystem |
| Subtitle of host publication | The Microbial Metabolism and its Regulation |
| Editors | S. Hoshino, R. Onodera, H. Minato, H. Itabashi |
| Place of Publication | Tokyo |
| Publisher | Japanese Scientific Societies Press-Springer Verlag |
| Pages | 43-50 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| ISBN (Print) | 978-0387531335 |
| Publication status | Published - 1990 |