‘Magic mushroom’ enzyme mystery solved
C&EN Global Enterprise August 21, 2017 DOI: 10.1021/cen-09533-notw1 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Laboratory study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Psilocybe mushrooms |
| Topics | Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Mushroom Magic telescope Botany Astronomy |
| Key points | The four enzymes that Psilocybe mushrooms use to synthesize psilocybin have been identified and characterized, enabling the first enzymatic synthesis of the compound. |
Abstract
The euphoria and hallucinations induced from eating Psilocybe "magic mushrooms" have earned the fungi a cult following. Albert Hofmann, a chemist at Sandoz, isolated and determined the structure of psilocybin, the main ingredient in the mushrooms that leads to the psychedelic effects, nearly 60 years ago. That discovery and subsequent mind-altering experiments by Harvard University psychologist Timothy F. Leary have left scientists longing to develop a large-scale synthesis of the compound for medical uses, which include treating anxiety, depression, and nicotine addiction. Yet no one has been able to unravel the enzymatic pathway the mushrooms use to make psilocybin until now. Janis Fricke, Felix Blei, and Dirk Hoffmeister of Friedrich Schiller University Jena have identified and characterized to the greatest extent so far the four enzymes that the mushrooms use to make psilocybin. The team then developed the first enzymatic synthesis of the compound, setting the stage for its possible