Evolution and horizontal transfer of the psilocybin biosynthetic gene cluster drive the diversification of magic mushrooms
Mycosphere December 25, 2025 Fei Liu, Jiaxin Li, Wen-Qiang Yang et al. 1 citation
Psilocybin, the psychoactive compound responsible for the hallucinogenic effects of “magic mushrooms,” is synthesized by a biosynthetic gene cluster (BGC) traditionally associated with Psilocybe species. However, psilocybin production has also been identified in multiple genera across the Strophariaceae, Hymenogastraceae, and Galeropsidaceae families. Here, we sequenced the genomes of 30...