Type genomes for both Centenaribacter bononiensis and Longaevibacter elenae
Members of the family Christensenellaceae have consistently emerged among the most reproducible microbial signatures associated with healthy human longevity. However, because these associations have largely been inferred from 16S rRNA gene surveys, the bacterial lineages responsible for this ecological signal have remained unresolved. Here, we combined comparative genomics, phylogenomics, and genome-resolved metagenomics to revisit this long-standing question. By reclassifying more than 1,000 publicly available metagenome-assembled genomes together with newly reconstructed genomes from centenarian gut metagenomes, we demonstrate that the longevity-associated Christensenellaceae signature is driven by two previously unrecognized Christensenellales lineages currently represented in the Genome Taxonomy Database only by provisional placeholder taxa. These lineages were consistently enriched across independent centenarian cohorts while showing no consistent associations with geography or lifestyle across globally distributed human populations. To establish a stable taxonomic framework, we formally describe these lineages under the SeqCode as Longaevibacter elenae gen. nov., sp. nov. and Centenaribacter bononiensis gen. nov., sp. nov. Comparative genomic analyses revealed conserved repertoires of carbohydrate-active enzymes involved in plant polysaccharide utilization, distinct genome-scale metabolic capabilities, and lineage-specific biosynthetic gene clusters, providing the first insights into the ecological strategies and metabolic potential of these previously overlooked members of the human gut microbiome. Together, our findings resolve the taxonomic identity of a microbial signature repeatedly associated with healthy ageing and establish a genome-resolved framework for future ecological, cultivation-based, and mechanistic investigations of longevity-associated gut microorganisms.
Members of the family Christensenellaceae have consistently emerged among the most reproducible microbial signatures associated with healthy human longevity. However, because these associations have largely been inferred from 16S rRNA gene surveys, the bacterial lineages responsible for this ecological signal have remained unresolved. Here, we combined comparative genomics, phylogenomics, and genome-resolved metagenomics to revisit this long-standing question. By reclassifying more than 1,000 publicly available metagenome-assembled genomes together with newly reconstructed genomes from centenarian gut metagenomes, we demonstrate that the longevity-associated Christensenellaceae signature is driven by two previously unrecognized Christensenellales lineages currently represented in the Genome Taxonomy Database only by provisional placeholder taxa. These lineages were consistently enriched across independent centenarian cohorts while showing no consistent associations with geography or lifestyle across globally distributed human populations. To establish a stable taxonomic framework, we formally describe these lineages under the SeqCode as Longaevibacter elenae gen. nov., sp. nov. and Centenaribacter bononiensis gen. nov., sp. nov. Comparative genomic analyses revealed conserved repertoires of carbohydrate-active enzymes involved in plant polysaccharide utilization, distinct genome-scale metabolic capabilities, and lineage-specific biosynthetic gene clusters, providing the first insights into the ecological strategies and metabolic potential of these previously overlooked members of the human gut microbiome. Together, our findings resolve the taxonomic identity of a microbial signature repeatedly associated with healthy ageing and establish a genome-resolved framework for future ecological, cultivation-based, and mechanistic investigations of longevity-associated gut microorganisms.