Proteolytic activity of rumen bacterial species from the genus Prevotella

Abstract

27 strains belonging to four recently described anaerobic bacterial species from the genus Prevotella were tested for proteolytic activity against ¹⁴C labelled casein. A great variability in casein degradation activity was detected, supporting the phylogenetic findings about this bacterial genus. The highest activity was detected with P. brevis strains and some individual strains representing unique taxonomic lineages. For the rest of the strains, belonging to P. ruminicola, P. brevis and P. albensis, the commonly made assumption of an important role in protein breakdown in the rumen ecosystem is presumably not valid.