Fungal genetics and biology : FG & B
June 1, 2023
Matthew Meyer, Jason Slot
28 citations
Fungi produce diverse metabolites, including psilocybin and related tryptamine-derived compounds called psiloids, which have antimicrobial, antifungal, antifeedant, or psychoactive properties. The high nitrogen allocation to psiloids in mushrooms, along with convergent evolution and horizontal gene transfer, suggests a selective benefit, but no precise ecological roles have been experimentally determined. Structural and functional similarities of psiloids to serotonin, an essential neurotransmitter in animals, indicate they may enhance fungal fitness through interference with serotonergic processes, though other mechanisms have been proposed. This review examines literature on psilocybin ecology and proposes potential adaptive advantages psiloids may confer to fungi.
Current Biology
June 1, 2025
Jason Slot, Dirk Hoffmeister
2 citations
Various fungi across multiple phyla produce psychoactive compounds like psilocybin, ibotenic acid, muscimol, and lysergic acid amides, which affect human neurotransmitter receptors to cause profound psychological effects. These substances appear in mushroom-forming genera such as Psilocybe and Amanita, as well as ergot-producing Claviceps and insect-pathogenic Massospora. Ecologically, psychedelics may deter predators or aid spore dispersal. Biosynthetic enzymes are encoded in metabolic gene clusters that can spread via horizontal gene transfer, leading to a patchy distribution among species. The renewed study of these compounds presents both opportunities and challenges for science and society.
Journal of Psychedelic Studies
December 29, 2023
Neşe Devenot, Brian A. Pace, Jason Slot et al.
1 citation
The field of psychedelic scholarship is expanding rapidly across clinical research, neuroscience, pharmacology, and the humanities. This special issue introduces the Psychedemia 2022 conference, hosted by the Center for Psychedelic Drug Research and Education at The Ohio State University, which brought together diverse academic disciplines to discuss integrating psychedelics into society. The conference built on the first Psychedemia in 2012 at the University of Pennsylvania, which helped establish Psychedelic Studies as an interdisciplinary field. As psychedelic research gains mainstream acceptance and a projected multi-billion-dollar medical market emerges, academics have a crucial role in articulating stakeholder concerns and shaping policy, theory, and methodology across social, legal, economic, and environmental dimensions.