mouse gut metagenome Raw sequence reads. mouse gut metagenome

Morbidity and mortality associated with Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) rises progressively with advanced age (≥ 65 years) due in part to perturbations of the gut microbiota and immune dysfunction. Epidemiological data of community-acquired CDI suggests increased susceptibility may begin earlier during middle-age (45-64 years) but the causation remains unknown. Middle-aged (12-14 months) and young (2-4 months) adult mice were infected with C. difficile, and disease severity, gut microbiome and innate immune response were compared. Infection of middle-aged mice with C. difficile led to greater disease compared to young controls, which was associated with increases in C. difficile burden and toxin titers, and elevated bacterial translocation. With the exception of an expansion of C. difficile in middle-aged mice, microbiome analysis revealed no age-related differences.