The GH5 1,4-β-mannanase from <i>Bifidobacterium animalis</i> subsp. <i>lactis </i>Bl-04 possesses a low-affinity mannan-binding module and highlights the diversity of mannanolytic enzymes

β-Mannans are abundant and diverse plant structural and storage polysaccharides. Certain human gut microbiota members including health-promoting Bifidobacterium spp. catabolize dietary mannans. Little insight is available on the enzymology of mannan deconstruction in the gut ecological niche. Here, we report the biochemical properties of the first family 5 subfamily 8 glycoside hydrolase (GH5_8) mannanase from the probiotic bacterium Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis Bl-04 (BlMan5_8)