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Updated: Jan 28, 2026
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A Gut-on-a-Chip Model to Study the Gut Microbiome-Nervous System Axis
Published on: July 28, 2023
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Age-related changes in the marmoset gut microbiome
Kelly R Reveles1,2, Shrina Patel1,2, Larry Forney3
1Phamacotherapy Division, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas.
American Journal of Primatology
|February 26, 2019
Summary
Aging alters the gut microbiome in marmosets, reducing diversity and changing bacterial composition. This research highlights potential therapeutic targets for improving healthspan and lifespan through microbiome modulation.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Gerontology
- Primate Research
Background:
- The gut microbiome's role in human health is established, but its impact on aging is not well understood.
- Non-human primates, like marmosets, serve as valuable models for studying human health and disease, including aging processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate and compare the gut microbiome composition between young adult and geriatric marmosets.
- To identify age-related shifts in microbial diversity and bacterial taxa within the marmoset gut microbiome.
Main Methods:
- Stool samples were collected from young (2-5 years) and geriatric (8+ years) male marmosets.
- 16S ribosomal RNA V4 gene sequencing was performed using the Illumina MiSeq platform.
- Sequences were processed using Mothur and classified against the Greengenes database to determine operational taxonomic units and taxonomic abundance.
Main Results:
- Geriatric marmosets exhibited significantly lower Shannon diversity (3.15) compared to young marmosets (3.46).
- A higher abundance of Proteobacteria (0.22 vs. 0.09) and Succinivibrionaceae (0.16 vs. 0.01) was observed in geriatric marmosets.
- Conversely, geriatric marmosets showed a lower abundance of Firmicutes (0.15 vs. 0.19) and Porphyromonadaceae (0.07 vs. 0.11) compared to younger individuals.
Conclusions:
- Geriatric marmosets possess a significantly altered gut microbiome diversity and composition relative to young adults.
- These findings suggest age-related dysbiosis in marmosets, mirroring potential changes in human aging.
- Further research into microbiome-targeted therapies is warranted to enhance healthspan and lifespan.
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