Ruminal degradation of alginate from brown seaweed (Saccharina latissima) through 'alginate utilization loci' in Prevotella sp.

Saccharina latissima is a brown alga commonly found in the North Atlantic, Arctic and Pacific oceans. Alginate constitutes a substantial portion of the cell wall of S. latissima (SL), and its digestion requires a specific set of enzymes, alginate lyases. We investigated if and how S. latissima is metabolized in geographically distinct rumen ecosystems through in vivo lamb feeding experiments (2.5 and 5% inclusion, DM basis) and in vitro cattle-based rumen simulation technique, RUSITEC, experiments (up to 50% inclusion). Evidence supporting ruminal degradation of alginate was explored using a combination of multilayered meta-omics, physiology (fluorescently labelled S. latissima hot water extracts (FLA-SLAT)) and biochemical characterization of PL6 alginate lyases. This ENA project contains the sequencing data from rumen samples from the Norwegian White lambs that were used in the in vivo feeding experiment.