Mycological Progress
December 8, 2025
Mohammad Reza Mirzadeh, Khalid Moinuddin, Vasso Apostolopoulos et al.
Psilocybin, psilocin and the associated tryptamines are psychoactive alkaloids which are naturally biosynthesised by Psilocybe (Fr.) P.Kumm. fungi, commonly referred to as magic mushrooms. These psychoactive fungi were used traditionally in healing rituals, and are now being studied in clinical studies to investigate their benefits as a treatment for a number of mental health disorders. Since...
Toxicon : official journal of the International Society on Toxinology
June 7, 2025
Simon A Beck, Caine Barlow, Liam Engel et al.
4 citations
Psilocybin-containing mushrooms have long been used for their psychoactive effects, but emerging evidence suggests that certain lignicolous ("wood-loving") species may also induce a distinct toxidrome known as "wood-lover paralysis" (WLP). WLP is characterised by transient weakness following mushroom ingestion, but its aetiology and prevalence remain poorly understood. In this paper, we present...
Microbiology Resource Announcements
December 27, 2024
Harte Singer, Jordan Jacobs, Marshall Tyler et al.
3 citations
ABSTRACT Psilocybe is a genus of mushroom-forming fungi with ecological, ethnomycological, and clinical importance due to psilocybin production by most species. We present five genomes that enable deeper discovery and analysis of the psilocybin gene cluster and increase taxonomic resolution within Psilocybe : Psilocybe semilanceata , Psilocybe gandalfiana nom. prov., Psilocybe caeruleorhiza ,...
Current Biology
December 1, 2023
Alistair R. Mctaggart, Stephen Mclaughlin, Jason C. Slot et al.
6 citations
Fungi that are edible or fermentative were domesticated through selective cultivation of their desired traits. Domestication is often associated with inbreeding or selfing, which may fix traits other than those under selection, and causes an overall decrease in heterozygosity. A hallucinogenic mushroom, Psilocybe cubensis, was domesticated from its niche in livestock dung for production of...
November 17, 2023
Alistair R. Mctaggart, Kelly Scarlett, Jason C. Slot et al.
2 citations
Magic mushrooms are fungi that produce psilocybin, a compound with breakthrough status for treatment of mental health disorders. Wood-degrading species of Psilocybe , such as P . subaeruginosa and relatives, have high concentrations of psilocybin but are discouraged for clinical production due to a temporary paralytic side effect known as Wood Lover’s Paralysis, the cause of which is unknown....
Fungal Genetics and Biology
December 29, 2022
Alistair R. Mctaggart, Timothy Y. James, Jason C. Slot et al.
13 citations
Knowledge of breeding systems and genetic diversity is critical to select and combine desired traits that advance new cultivars in agriculture and horticulture. Mushrooms that produce psilocybin, magic mushrooms, may potentially be used in therapeutic and wellness industries, and stand to benefit from genetic improvement. We studied haploid siblings of Psilocybe subaeruginosa to resolve the...