Elucidation of the mescaline biosynthetic pathway in peyote (Lophophora williamsii).
The Plant journal : for cell and molecular biology November 1, 2023 Jacinta L Watkins, Qiushi Li, Sam Yeaman et al. 23 citations
Peyote, a cactus native to the Chihuahuan desert, produces the psychoactive compound mescaline, but how the plant makes it has been unknown for over 120 years. Using gene discovery guided by transcriptomics and homology, researchers identified a near-complete biosynthetic pathway from the amino acid l-tyrosine to mescaline. They found a cytochrome P450 enzyme that converts l-tyrosine to l-DOPA, a decarboxylase that produces dopamine, and four specific O-methyltransferases that modify phenethylamines. Biochemical assays with recombinant enzymes and engineered yeast confirmed substrate specificity. An N-methyltransferase was also identified that may contribute to the early steps of tetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthesis in peyote.