‘Magic mushroom’ enzyme mystery solved

The four enzymes that Psilocybe mushrooms use to produce psilocybin, the compound responsible for their psychedelic effects, have been identified and characterized more completely than ever before. Researchers at Friedrich Schiller University Jena then used these enzymes to create the first enzymatic synthesis of psilocybin, a step toward large-scale production for medical applications such as treating anxiety, depression, and nicotine addiction. The discovery builds on Albert Hofmann's isolation of psilocybin nearly 60 years ago and addresses a long-standing gap in understanding the mushroom's biosynthetic pathway.

Study at a glance

Abstract

The euphoria and hallucinations induced from eating Psilocybe "magic mushrooms" have earned the fungi a cult following. Albert Hofmann, a chemist at Sandoz, isolated and determined the structure of psilocybin, the main ingredient in the mushrooms that leads to the psychedelic effects, nearly 60 years ago. That discovery and subsequent mind-altering experiments by Harvard University psychologist Timothy F. Leary have left scientists longing to develop a large-scale synthesis of the compound for medical uses, which include treating anxiety, depression, and nicotine addiction. Yet no one has been able to unravel the enzymatic pathway the mushrooms use to make psilocybin until now. Janis Fricke, Felix Blei, and Dirk Hoffmeister of Friedrich Schiller University Jena have identified and characterized to the greatest extent so far the four enzymes that the mushrooms use to make psilocybin. The team then developed the first enzymatic synthesis of the compound, setting the stage for its possible