Angewandte Chemie International Edition
September 21, 2025
Tim Schäfer, Fabian Haun, Bernhard Rupp et al.
7 citations
Abstract Psilocybin (4‐phosphoryloxy‐ N , N ‐dimethyltryptamine, 1 ) is the main indolethyl‐amine natural product of psychotropic (so‐called “magic”) mushrooms. The majority of 1 ‐producing species belongs to the eponymous genus Psilocybe , for which the biosynthetic events, beginning from l ‐tryptophan ( 2 ), and the involved enzymes have thoroughly been characterized. Some Inocybe (fiber cap)...
Angewandte Chemie
September 21, 2025
Tim Schäfer, Fabian Haun, Bernhard Rupp et al.
Zusammenfassung Psilocybin (4‐Phosphoryloxy‐ N , N ‐dimethyltryptamin, 1 ) ist der hauptsächliche Indolethylamin‐Naturstoff der psychotropen sogenannten Zauberpilze. Die Mehrheit der 1 ‐produzierenden Arten gehört zu der namensgebenden Gattung Psilocybe , für die die biosynthetischen Ereignisse, ausgehend von l ‐Tryptophan ( 2 ), sowie die beteiligten Enzyme gründlich charakterisiert wurden....
Chemistry - A European Journal
April 9, 2025
Tim Schäfer, Thomas Krüger, Jakob Worbs et al.
2 citations
Abstract Advanced clinical trials investigate the Psilocybe magic mushroom natural product psilocybin as a treatment against major depressive disorder. Currently, synthetic material is used to meet the demand for legitimate pharmaceutical purposes. Here, we report an in vitro approach to biocatalytically produce psilocybin on a solid‐phase matrix charged with five covalently bound biosynthetic...
Microbial Biotechnology
November 1, 2024
Slavica Janevska, Sophie Weiser, Ying Huang et al.
13 citations
Abstract The high therapeutic potential of psilocybin, a prodrug of the psychotropic psilocin, holds great promise for the treatment of mental disorders such as therapy‐refractory depression, alcohol use disorder and anorexia nervosa. Psilocybin has been designated a ‘Breakthrough Therapy’ by the US Food and Drug Administration, and therefore a sustainable production process must be established...
Fungal biology and biotechnology
April 25, 2024
Paula Sophie Seibold, Sebastian Dörner, Janis Fricke et al.
8 citations
Although Basidiomycota produce pharmaceutically and ecologically relevant natural products, knowledge of how they coordinate their primary and secondary metabolism is virtually non-existent. Upon transition from vegetative mycelium to carpophore formation, mushrooms of the genus Psilocybe use L-tryptophan to supply the biosynthesis of the psychedelic tryptamine alkaloid psilocybin with the...
ChemBioChem
November 3, 2022
Tim Schäfer, Kristina Kramer, Sebastiaan Werten et al.
20 citations
Abstract The l ‐tryptophan decarboxylase PsiD catalyzes the initial step of the metabolic cascade to psilocybin, the major indoleethylamine natural product of the “magic” mushrooms and a candidate drug against major depressive disorder. Unlike numerous pyridoxal phosphate (PLP)‐dependent decarboxylases for natural product biosyntheses, PsiD is PLP‐independent and resembles type II...
ChemBioChem
May 18, 2022
Sebastian Dörner, Kai Rogge, Janis Fricke et al.
43 citations
Abstract Psilocybe magic mushrooms are best known for their main natural product, psilocybin, and its dephosphorylated congener, the psychedelic metabolite psilocin. Beyond tryptamines, the secondary metabolome of these fungi is poorly understood. The genomes of five species ( P. azurescens , P. cubensis , P. cyanescens , P. mexicana , and P. serbica ) were browsed to understand more profoundly...