Phylogenomics of the psychoactive mushroom genusPsilocybeand evolution of the psilocybin biosynthetic gene cluster
bioRxiv December 15, 2022 Alexander J Bradshaw, Virginia Ramírez-Cruz, Ali R. Awan et al. 5 citations preprint
Psilocybin, the psychoactive compound in Psilocybe mushrooms, first evolved in that genus, with 4–5 possible horizontal gene transfers to other mushroom species occurring between 40 and 22 million years ago. Sequencing 71 fungarium specimens and analyzing 2,983 single-copy gene families produced a fully supported phylogeny, showing the stem lineage arose about 66 million years ago and diversified around 53 million years ago. Two distinct gene orders within the psilocybin biosynthetic gene cluster correspond to a deep split within Psilocybe, possibly indicating independent acquisition of the cluster. This may predict chemical differences between the two major clades, aiding development of novel therapeutics.