Patterns of bacteria and metabolic changes and their interaction in major depression

A total of 100 microbial and viral species and metabolites showed significant differences between major depressive disorder (MDD) patients and healthy controls.

• Three bacteriophages, 47 bacterial species, and 50 fecal metabolites exhibited notable differences in abundance.
• MDD patients were characterized by increased levels of certain bacterial genera and decreased levels of others.
• Alterations in microbial genes and metabolites were linked to the metabolism of specific amino acids, including γ-aminobutyrate, phenylalanine, and tryptophan.
• A marker panel was identified that could effectively distinguish MDD patients from healthy individuals in both discovery and validation sets.
• The findings suggest complex interactions within the gut microbiome, virome, and metabolome in the context of MDD.

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