Breaking bad buttons: mescaline biosynthesis in peyote
The Plant Journal October 20, 2023 Gwendolyn K. Kirschner 2 citations
Peyote (Lophophora williamsii) produces mescaline, a phenethylamine protoalkaloid with psychedelic effects used in Indigenous ceremonies for over 5800 years and now being tested for treating mental disorders. Using transcriptomics and homology-guided gene discovery, researchers identified most enzymes in the mescaline biosynthesis pathway from L-tyrosine, including LwCYP76AD94 (3-hydroxylation), LwTyDC1 (decarboxylation), LwOMT10 and LwOMT2 (O-methylations), and LwNMT (N-methylation). The enzyme catalyzing 5-hydroxylation remains unknown. The findings enable industrial-scale mescaline production via synthetic biosystems, offering an alternative to harvesting the endangered peyote cactus.