Human gut microbiota networks disturbance by parasites in indigenous communities: Effect on bacteria genera related to depression incidence subnetworks

Abstract

If you think you are in control of your behavior, think again. Evidence suggests that behavioral modifications, as development and persistence of depression, may be the consequence of a complex network of communication between macro (i.e. parasites) and micro-organisms capable of modifying the physiological axis of the host. Some parasites cause significant nutritional deficiencies for the host and impair the effectiveness of cognitive processes such as memory, teaching or non-verbal intelligence. Bacterial communities mediate the establishment of parasites and vice versa but this complexity approach remains little explored. We study the gut microbiota-parasite interactions using novel techniques of network analysis using data of individuals from two indigenous communities in the state of Guerrero, Mexico. Our results suggest that A. Lumbricoides, induce a gut microbiota perturbation affecting subnetworks of key species related to depression, consisting in the loss of network features such as path length, heterogeneity, number of nodes and neighbors; and especially by the loss of information emergence. Emergence is related with adaptability that has been linked to the concept of health as a critical balance between (adaptability) and self-organization (robustness). In this way, the loss of emergence means a depart from criticality and ultimately loss of health.