Unlocking the biosynthesis of psychedelic-inspired indolethylamines.
Abhishek K. Sen, J. Andrew Jones
Trends in biochemical sciences March 1, 2024 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2023.12.009 via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractA newly discovered enzyme, RmNMT, from the cane toad Rhinella marina efficiently produces N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) derivatives. These compounds were tested as potential next-generation treatments for mental health disorders, leveraging their activity as psychedelic indolethylamines that bind serotonin receptors. The enzyme's high activity and promiscuity enable the creation of diverse tryptamine variants for therapeutic development.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Experimental study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | 5-MeO-DMT DMT |
| Keywords | N-methylation Psychedelic indolethylamine Serotonin receptor binding Psychedelic-Compounds DMT |
| Citations | 2 |
| Key finding | RmNMT from the cane toad is a highly active and promiscuous tryptamine N-methyltransferase that produces DMT derivatives evaluated as potential treatments for mental health disorders. |
Abstract
A recent report by Chen et al. describes the discovery of RmNMT, a highly active and promiscuous tryptamine N-methyltransferase from the cane toad, Rhinella marina. N,N-dimethyltryptamine derivatives produced by this enzyme were then evaluated for their potential to serve as next-generation treatments for mental health disorders.