Psychoactive plant- and mushroom-associated alkaloids from two behavior modifying cicada pathogens
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) July 24, 2018 Greg R. Boyce, Emile Gluck-Thaler, Jason C. Slot et al. 1 citation preprint
Some entomopathogenic fungi keep their insect hosts alive while releasing spores, a behavior that improves spore dispersal. Metabolomics of four populations of periodical cicadas infected with Massospora cicadina revealed the plant-associated amphetamine cathinone, while annual cicadas infected with Massospora platypediae or Massospora levispora contained the mushroom-associated tryptamine psilocybin; the latter two fungi appear to be a single species. The absence of certain fungal enzymes needed to produce cathinone and psilocybin, along with undetectable intermediate metabolites or gene orthologs, suggests novel biosynthesis pathways in Massospora. The neurogenic activity of these compounds indicates that the extended phenotype of Massospora, which alters cicada behavior to maximize spore dissemination, is chemically induced.