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Genetic Survey of Psilocybe Natural Products

Summary

This research reveals that magic mushrooms contain many more natural compounds than previously known. By studying the genetic code of different Psilocybe species, scientists discovered these fungi have the potential to produce a wide variety of compounds beyond the well-known psilocybin. This knowledge is important for understanding both therapeutic benefits and potential risks of magic mushrooms. Impacts on everyday life: • Helps explain why different magic mushroom species may have varying effects • Supports development of safer therapeutic applications for depression treatment • Aids in understanding and preventing adverse effects like temporary paralysis • Contributes to more informed policy decisions regarding mushroom use • Enables better emergency medical response to mushroom-related incidents

Background

Psilocybe magic mushrooms are known primarily for producing psilocybin and its psychedelic metabolite psilocin. However, beyond these tryptamines, the full secondary metabolome of these fungi remains poorly understood. Some species have been reported to cause paralytic effects that cannot be explained by known compounds, suggesting unexplored metabolic diversity.

Objective

To conduct a systematic inventory of natural product genes across five Psilocybe species (P. azurescens, P. cubensis, P. cyanescens, P. mexicana, and P. serbica) to understand their common and species-specific metabolic capacities and explore their full biosynthetic potential beyond known tryptamine compounds.

Results

The genomic analyses revealed a much greater metabolic diversity than previously known, with numerous genes for terpene synthases, non-ribosomal peptide synthetases, and polyketide synthases. P. cyanescens and P. mexicana were identified as aeruginascin producers. Novel compounds lumichrome and verpacamide A were detected. The PsiK enzyme was shown to accept 4-hydroxy-N,N,N-trimethyltryptamine as a substrate for phosphorylation to produce aeruginascin.

Conclusion

The study revealed that Psilocybe species possess a much more diverse natural product metabolome than previously recognized. The number of genetic loci dedicated to secondary metabolism far exceeds the number of known compounds, suggesting many yet undiscovered natural products. This expanded metabolic diversity may help explain phenomena like wood lover’s paralysis and supports further pharmacological and toxicological research.
  • Published in:ChemBioChem,
  • Study Type:Genomic Analysis,
  • Source: 10.1002/cbic.202200249
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