Journal of Medicinal Chemistry
March 2, 2011
Lei Zhang, Michael A. Brodney, John Candler et al.
32 citations
A new class of compounds, 1-[(1-methyl-1H-imidazol-2-yl)methyl]-4-phenylpiperidines, acts as positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) of the metabotropic glutamate receptor 2 (mGluR2). Structure-activity relationship studies produced potent and selective mGluR2 PAMs with favorable pharmacokinetic properties. The lead compound (+)-17e dose-dependently reduced methamphetamine-induced hyperactivity and mescaline-induced scratching in mice, suggesting potential for treating psychosis.
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.
Scientific reports
April 15, 2025
Hong Ding, Lei Zhang, Chao Ma et al.
9 citations
Twenty weeks of mindfulness meditation training, three 20-minute sessions per week, improved attention span, concentrativeness, stability, and attentional networks in professional male fencer athletes compared to a control condition involving mind-wandering audio. The mindfulness group also showed increased oxygenated hemoglobin concentration in the prefrontal cortex during cognitive tests, lower mental fatigue, and lower salivary cortisol after the intervention. No significant differences were found for distractibility or attentional blink on task-irrelevant information. The authors suggest that long-term mindfulness meditation after physical training enhances attentive capacity and cerebral oxygenation, which may facilitate focus and improve athletic performance.
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.