Replication Data for: Calcium Activation Mechanism of a Noncanonical Aromatic L-Amino Acid Decarboxylase from Psilocybin Mushroom
CUHK Research Data Repository January 1, 2025 Tianjie Li
Psilocybin, the psychoactive compound in magic mushrooms, is produced by an enzyme called PsiD, which belongs to a class of enzymes that typically require a chemical tag to function. This study shows that PsiD instead uses calcium ions to become active, a novel mechanism for this enzyme family. The authors determined the three-dimensional structure of PsiD and demonstrated that calcium binding triggers a shape change that allows the enzyme to work. This finding explains how the mushroom makes psilocybin and reveals a new way that cells can control enzyme activity.