Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
January 9, 2024
Virginia Ramírez-Cruz, Giuliana Furci, Alexander J. Bradshaw et al.
30 citations
The psychedelic alkaloid psilocybin, driving Psychedelics and Drug Studies, first evolved in the mushroom genus Psilocybe around 67 million years ago. Evolutionary biology indicates its biosynthetic gene cluster transferred horizontally 4 to 5 times to other fungi between 40 and 9 million years ago. Using 71 fungal metagenomes, Phylogenetics of 2,983 gene families reveals Psilocybe's deep Biology. Two distinct psilocybin gene cluster arrangements correspond to major clades, suggesting independent acquisitions of this alkaloid's chemical synthesis, impacting Fungal Biology and Applications.
Applied and Environmental Microbiology
November 29, 2022
Virginia Ramírez-Cruz, Giuliana Furci, Paul Stamets et al.
29 citations
Psilocybin, the psychoactive compound in magic mushrooms, is being used therapeutically for depression, PTSD, and end-of-life care, highlighting the need for better understanding of the organisms that naturally produce it.
Phytotaxa
February 16, 2026
Paula Santos da Silva, Virginia Ramírez-Cruz, Alexander J. Bradshaw et al.
Psilocybe, the genus of fungi known as 'magic mushrooms' that produce psychoactive compounds, is the focus of renewed research interest because of its potential as a therapy for the global mental health crisis. Examining 62 specimens representing 10 species from southern Brazil using morphological data and DNA sequences, this work reports new records of P. subaeruginascens and P. yungensis, expanding knowledge of their occurrence and geographic range. A novel species, Psilocybe araucariicola, is introduced and characterized through morphology and DNA sequencing. Phylogenetic analyses with rDNA ITS, rpb2, and tef1 sequences clarify its relationship to other Psilocybe species.