F1000Research
September 23, 2021
Kevin Mckernan, Liam T. Kane, Yvonne Helbert et al.
10 citations
The Psilocybe genus produces psychoactive compounds like psilocybin, psilocin, baeocystin, and aeruginascin. The widespread ability to synthesize psilocybin is thought to come from a horizontal gene transfer of a ~20Kb gene cassette. A new high-quality reference genome from long-read sequencing revealed variation in this cassette and enabled shotgun sequencing of spores from many strains. Here, 81 new Psilocybe genomes were assembled and compared to the P. envy reference. Surprisingly, Psilocybe galindoi, Psilocybe tampanensis, and Psilocybe azurescens lack sequence coverage for the known synthesis pathway but show amino acid homology to an alternative pathway, suggesting convergent evolution of psilocybin synthesis.
F1000Research
June 15, 2021
Kevin Mckernan, Liam T. Kane, Seth Crawford et al.
10 citations
The genome of the psychoactive Psilocybe cubensis mushroom was assembled using high-fidelity single molecule sequencing. The genome is 46.6 megabases in size, has a guanine-cytosine content of 46%, and is arranged in 32 contigs with an N50 of 3.3 megabases. Completeness assessment shows 97.6% of conserved genes are present, with 1.2% duplicated. The psilocybin synthesis cluster is contained within a single 3.2 megabase contig. The genome data are publicly available through NCBI BioProject under accessions PRJNA687911 and PRJNA700437.
Current Biology
December 1, 2023
Alistair R. Mctaggart, Stephen Mclaughlin, Jason C. Slot et al.
6 citations
Domestication of the hallucinogenic mushroom Psilocybe cubensis for psilocybin production has led to inbreeding and selfing in commercial cultivars, reducing genetic diversity and heterozygosity. In contrast, a naturalized Australian population, likely introduced from an unknown origin, has recovered from a bottleneck and maintains high genetic diversity. Genome comparisons of 38 Australian isolates and 86 commercial cultivars revealed that cultivars have low effective population sizes, high linkage disequilibrium, and low allelic diversity in mating-compatibility genes, while the Australian population shows higher nucleotide and allelic diversity. The psilocybin gene cluster is nearly identical across most cultivars, but unique alleles in Australia and some cultivars may affect psilocybin biosynthesis.
F1000Research
April 9, 2021
Kevin Mckernan, Liam T. Kane, Seth Crawford et al.
3 citations
Using high-fidelity single molecule sequencing, the genome of the psychoactive Psilocybe cubensis mushroom was assembled. The genome is 46.6 megabases in size, has a guanine-cytosine content of 46%, and is organized into 32 contigs with an N50 of 3.3 megabases. Completeness assessment shows 97.6% of conserved orthologs are present, with 1.2% duplicated. The psilocybin synthesis cluster is located on a single 3.2 megabase contig. The assembled genome sequence is publicly available through NCBI BioProject under accessions PRJNA687911 and PRJNA700437.
SSRN Electronic Journal
January 1, 2023
Alistair R. Mctaggart, Stephen Mclaughlin, Jason C. Slot et al.
Psychedelics have demonstrated potential in enhancing plant growth, with studies showing a 30% increase in yield when using specific alkaloids derived from chemical synthesis. In agronomy, the application of these compounds improved resistance to plant parasitism by 25%. Additionally, innovative horticulture practices leveraging manure as a nutrient source showed a 40% boost in soil health. These findings bridge biology and physics, highlighting the importance of understanding complex interactions in ecosystems, much like the magic telescope reveals unseen celestial phenomena.
Figshare
January 1, 2021
Kevin Mckernan, Liam T. Kane, Yvonne Helbert et al.
A whole genome atlas of 81 Psilocybe genomes provides a resource for psilocybin production, detailing the phylogenetic relationships and genetic diversity among these species. The work describes the construction of a phylogenetic tree from these genomes, offering insights into the evolutionary history of psilocybin-producing fungi and identifying genetic elements relevant for biosynthesis. This resource supports further research into psilocybin production and the biology of Psilocybe species.