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Horizontal Gene Cluster Transfer Increased Hallucinogenic Mushroom Diversity

Summary

This research reveals how hallucinogenic mushrooms acquired and shared the genetic ability to produce psilocybin through horizontal gene transfer between species. The findings show that mushrooms likely evolved this capability as an ecological adaptation, possibly to influence insects and other organisms in their environment. This has implications for both understanding evolution and developing new therapeutic compounds. Key impacts on everyday life: – Provides new understanding of how natural psychedelic compounds evolved – Suggests new ways to discover novel pharmaceutical compounds from fungi – Helps explain the ecological roles of mushrooms in nature – Advances knowledge for potential therapeutic applications of psilocybin – Demonstrates how organisms can share beneficial genetic traits

Background

Secondary metabolites are small molecules that mediate interactions between species. Psilocin, a tryptophan-derived secondary metabolite, is a serotonin receptor agonist that induces altered states of consciousness. A phylogenetically disjunct group of mushroom-forming fungi in the Agaricales produce psilocybin, the psilocin prodrug. Spotty phylogenetic distributions of fungal compounds are sometimes explained by horizontal transfer of metabolic gene clusters among unrelated fungi with overlapping niches.

Objective

To investigate whether the scattered distribution of psilocybin among diverse ‘magic’ mushrooms could be explained by horizontal gene transfer (HGT) of a biosynthetic gene cluster. The study aimed to identify and characterize the psilocybin gene cluster and examine evidence for its transfer between fungal lineages.

Results

A homologous multigene cluster was identified in each hallucinogenic species, containing genes for tryptophan decarboxylation, hydroxylation, phosphorylation, and methylation required for psilocybin biosynthesis. Phylogenetic analyses supported horizontal transfer of the cluster between divergent dung decomposers in the genera Psilocybe and Panaeolus. The enzymatic functions of genes within the cluster were confirmed through biochemical characterization.

Conclusion

The study provides evidence that horizontal gene cluster transfer contributed to the evolution and diversification of psilocybin production in mushrooms. The inheritance patterns and ecological distribution suggest psilocybin production may be part of an adaptive strategy in dung and late wood-decay niches, possibly influencing arthropod activity. The findings advance understanding of both the evolution of fungal secondary metabolism and the genetic basis of psilocybin biosynthesis.
  • Published in:Evolution Letters,
  • Study Type:Genomic Analysis,
  • Source: 10.1002/evl3.42
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