Lifelong temporal dynamics of the gut microbiome associated with longevity in mice.

In this study, we used sibling mice and longitudinally monitored changes in the gut microbiome of individuals from birth to death for approximately three years. Despite the shared genetic background and dietary habits, the gut microbiome structure significantly diversified with age and among individuals. Moreover, we found a strong correlation between longevity and temporal variations in the alpha diversity of the gut microbiome throughout life. Host longevity was significantly associated with the abundance of 17 bacterial species/OTUs, most of which were "life-core" species.