The fly agaric mushroom, Amanita muscaria, produces the psychoactive compounds ibotenic acid and muscimol, but their biosynthetic pathway and the enzymes involved were unknown. Fifty years ago, researchers hypothesized that the pathway begins with 3-hydroxyglutamate. This work identifies and recombinantly produces a glutamate hydroxylase from A. muscaria, supporting that hypothesis. The hydroxylase gene is flanked by six additional biosynthetic genes, which genomic and transcriptomic data link to ibotenic acid and muscimol production. These results pinpoint the genetic basis for ibotenic acid formation, resolving a decades-old question about a centuries-old drug.
Neuroscience is influencing new research programs that combine high-tech methods with social science approaches. This article examines neurophenomenology and first-person neuroscience, which aim to bridge first-person and third-person research perspectives. It outlines current areas of interest and methodological approaches in these fields, summarizing basic problems associated with the research program. Linking neuroscience to other disciplines that analyze phenomena at different levels involves conceptual and methodological issues. Although no definitive solution is in sight, neurophenomenology offers stimuli for new reflections on mental states and brings new perspectives to social neuroscience.
The fly agaric mushroom produces psychoactive compounds ibotenic acid and muscimol. Fifty years ago, scientists proposed that their biosynthesis begins with 3-hydroxyglutamate. Researchers identified and recombinantly produced a glutamate hydroxylase enzyme from Amanita muscaria that supports this hypothesis. The gene for this enzyme is flanked by six other genes linked to ibotenic acid production based on recent genetic data. These findings offer new understanding of a long-standing question about a drug used for centuries.