Injury‐Triggered Blueing Reactions of Psilocybe “Magic” Mushrooms
Angewandte Chemie International Edition November 14, 2019 Claudius Lenz, Jonas Wick, Daniel Braga et al. 56 citations
When psilocybin-producing mushrooms are injured, they turn blue due to a two-step enzymatic cascade. The phosphatase PsiP removes a phosphate group from psilocybin to yield psilocin, and the enzyme PsiL oxidizes psilocin's 4-hydroxy group. This oxidation triggers the formation of blue oligomers, primarily linked at carbon-5, as shown by carbon-13 NMR. Mass and infrared spectroscopy reveal a mixture of psilocyl chains ranging from 3 to 13 units long, with multiple pathways depending on oxidant strength and substrate concentration. The findings suggest that psilocybin's phosphate group acts as a reversible protective modification, preventing premature bluing until injury occurs.