THE GENETIC MANIPULATION OF RUMEN BACTERIA WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO FIBER DIGESTION

Various proposals have been made for the enhancement of fibre degradation in the rumen through genetic manipulation of both cellulolytic and non-cellulolytic members of the rumen bacterial flora. Progress is now being made in developing methods for gene transfer based on plasmids or temperate phage in prominent rumen species such as Bacteroides ruminicola and Selenomonas ruminantium, but the complexity of the rumen ecosystem makes the likely effects of proposed strain manipulations difficult to predict. Similar work in rumen cellulolytic bacteria could make a valuable contribution to the molecular analysis of their fibre degrading activities.