N,N-Dimethyltryptamine Production in Phalaris aquatica Seedlings
PLANT PHYSIOLOGY October 1, 1988 Joseph P. G. Mack, Dawn P. Mulvena, M. Slaytor 9 citations
In seedlings of Phalaris aquatica, the activities of three enzymes that synthesize N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) from tryptophan peak at day 5 after planting, then decline rapidly. Tryptophan decarboxylase and two N-methyltransferases reached maximal conversion rates of 95, 1000, and 2200 micromoles per hour per milliliter, respectively. Intermediate concentrations—tryptamine, N-methyltryptamine, tryptophan, and DMT—rose from zero in seeds to maxima at days 5–8, then fell. A mathematical model using these enzymes correctly predicted the concentrations of tryptamine and N-methyltryptamine, confirming that these three enzymes drive in vivo DMT synthesis. Kinetic constants for each enzyme, including substrate and inhibitor affinities, are reported.