A Single-Cell Atlas of Transcriptome Changes in the Intestinal Epithelium at the Suckling-to-Weaning Transition in Male Rabbits.

ABSTRACT:

Background & aims

The suckling-to-weaning dietary transition is a key step in intestinal development. The aim of our study was to identify the transcriptome changes induced in each cell type of the intestinal epithelium at the onset of solid food ingestion.

Methods

We compared the single-cell transcriptome of epithelial cells isolated from the cecum of age-matched littermate suckling male rabbits ingesting or not solid food.

Results

Our dataset provides the first single-cell atlas of the rabbit intestinal epithelium and highlights the interest of the rabbit as a model for studying BEST4⁺ epithelial cells, which are absent in mice. Solid food ingestion induced extensive transcriptome changes in each epithelial cell type, with the most pronounced changes note

SUBMITTER: Malonga T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12630347 | biostudies-literature | 2026

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature