title: The mouse gut microbiome revisited: From complex diversity to model ecosystems.
abstract: Laboratory mice are the most commonly used animal model in translational medical research. In recent years, the impact of the gut microbiota (i.e. communities of microorganisms in the intestine) on host physiology and the onset of diseases, including metabolic and neuronal disorders, cancers, gastrointestinal infections and chronic inflammation, became a focal point of interest. There is abundant evidence that mouse phenotypes in disease models vary greatly between animal facilities or commercial providers, and that this variation is associated with differences in the microbiota. Hence, there is a clear discrepancy between the widespread use of mouse models in research and the patchwork knowledge on the mouse gut microbiome. In the present manuscript, we summarize data pertaining to the diversity and functions of the mouse gut microbiota, review existing work on gnotobiotic mouse models, and discuss challenges and opportunities for current and future research in the field.
authors.affiliation: ZIEL Institute for Food and Health, Technische Universität München, Freising, Germany. Electronic address: thomas.clavel@tum.de.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Clavel
authors.affiliation: ZIEL Institute for Food and Health, Technische Universität München, Freising, Germany.
authors.forename: Ilias
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lagkouvardos
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastrointestinal Microbiology, German Institute of Human Nutrition (DIfE), Nuthetal, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Blaut
authors.affiliation: Max von Pettenkofer-Institute, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany; German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Munich, Munich, Germany. Electronic address: Stecher@mvp.uni-muenchen.de.
authors.forename: Bärbel
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Stecher
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D017753:Ecosystem; D000069196:Gastrointestinal Microbiome; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000382:microbiology*; D005856:Germ-Free Life; D051379:Mice
keywords: Anaerobic cultivation; Bacterial diversity; Gnotobiology; Host–microbe interactions; Minimal microbiome; Mouse intestinal microbiota