Scientists have long wondered how and why magic mushrooms create psilocybin, a psychoactive chemical that causes hallucinations when ingested. Two new papers published this month provide some answers, one of which paves the way for an easier way to create the psychedelic compound.

Around 200 types of mushrooms produce psilocybin, and theyve been used ceremonially for millennia. Since trip-inducing fungi were introduced to Western audiences by financier and author Gordon Wasson in a Life magazine article in 1957, people have been using them for recreational purposes throughout the world. Albert Hofmann, the Swiss chemist who synthesized LSD, identified psilocybin as the active ingredient in magic mushrooms and determined its structure in 1959. At that time, he also figured out how to synthesize it using biochemistry.

However, nobody knewuntil nowhow mushrooms themselves make psilocybin. In a study published in the journal Angewandte Chemie, Dirk Hoffmeister and colleagues sequenced and mapped the genes in the magic mushroom Psilocybe cubensis. Scientists have known for a while that these genes produce several enzymes that combine to create psilocybin, but nobody knew the sequence and order of this seemingly mystical process. Through a series of trial-and-error type tests, Hoffmeister and colleagues figured out the correct order. There was some Wow! in the air when the team finally figured it out, says Hoffmeister, with the University of Jena in Germany.

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One of the most surprising findings is the simplicity of the process, says David Sherman, a medicinal chemist at the University of Michigan who wasnt involved in the paper. In only five steps, the mushrooms enzymes convert tryptophan, a widely occurring amino acid (a building block of protein) into psilocybin.

The paper could pave the way for people without advanced knowledge to produce psilocybin on their own, using commercially available synthetic biology kits, Sherman says.

Magic mushrooms, pictured here in Amsterdam, create the psychedelic psilocybin in an "elegant" process. Jerry Lampen / REUTERS

Hoffmeister says the finding could theoretically make the mass-production of psilocybin easier and less expensive, though he expects it will take quite some effort until we make headway. He also notes that this scientific study was done for the purpose of better understanding natures elegant way of making psilocybin, and is not intended as a drug endorsement or "get-high-quick" kind of thing. Using naturally occurring enzymes would avoid the expensive and difficult biochemical tools currently required to make the compound.

In another study published this month in the online journal bioRXiv, though not yet peer-reviewed, researchers sequenced genomes from three different mushroom species and found the cluster of psilocybin-producing genes in each. The way the small cluster apparently traveled between species, without alteration, suggests that it was passed through a peculiar process called horizontal gene transfer. In this process, a gene can literally move between different species by physical contact, Sherman explains. This transfer could have happened when, for example, a spore of a psilocybin-producing mushroom physically landed on top of another mushrooms species, and was incorporated into its genome, Sherman says. Because the gene cluster is so small, it can be absorbed and then passed on.

Sherman says horizontal gene transfer of psilocybin-producing genetic bits still happens and will likely enable more mushrooms to produce this psychedelic compound.

Its wide distribution in unrelated species and endurance over time suggests thatthe psilocybin gene may give mushrooms a survival advantage, says Jason Slot, an assistant Professor at the Ohio State University and study lead author. Other research shows that psilocybin confuses predators by mimicking the neurotransmitter serotonin, and that its effects in humans is an coincidental byproduct of this ability.

Sherman marveled at how simple it is for mushrooms to make psilocybin, especially considering many useful compounds like antibioticsderived from fungi and bacteriatake more than 50 steps. Mother nature makes it quite elegantly, Hoffmeister says.

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New Magic Mushrooms Discovery Could Reveal How to Make Your Own Drugs - Newsweek

A team of scientists at the Allahabad University engaged in finding clues to brain ageing and devising anti-ageing strategies is getting international recognition.

Three scientists from AUs biochemistry department, who are a part of the study team led by Prof SI Rizvi, have been invited by the International Society of Neurochemistry to present their findings at the meeting of the European Society for Neurochemistry to be held in Paris (France) from August 20-24.

Abhishek Kumar Singh, a Kothari fellowship awardee, would present his research findings on the anti-aging effect of a compound rapamycin on rat brain through activation of a mechanism based on self-destruction of cells, scientifically known as autophagy.

Another researcher Sandeep Singh is slated to showcase his research findings on the use of a compound spermidine which is a caloric restriction mimetic.

Caloric restriction is a strategy to enhance lifespan by reducing food intake.

Since the strategy is difficult to implement on humans, scientists find ways to mimic this effect through specific drugs. Spermidine is one such drug which is being tested by the research team.

Researcher Geetika Garg will present her findings on possible anti-aging effect of whey protein. Recent scientific evidence has shown that whey comprising of protein obtained after milk is made into curd, has an abundance of sulphur containing amino acids which can be beneficial for human health, especially during the old age.

Whey contains an amino acid cysteine which is not only an important constituent of proteins but is also important for the formation of an antioxidant molecule glutathione in the human cell, she said.

Glutathione is the most abundant antioxidant in the body that protects us from damage due to toxins and free radicals. It is found in the highest concentration in brain and liver, Geetika explained.

During aging, the capacity of red blood cells to transport cysteine to all parts of the body decreases. This results in deficiency of cysteine for the synthesis of glutathione which makes the body prone to damages caused by oxidative stress leading to aging. A high cysteine diet can offset these alterations since the red blood cells would then transport more cysteine to other cells of the body, she said.

Our research findings opens up new strategy for formulation of anti-aging food supplementations based on high cysteine intake, Geetika added.

The three scholars have been given fellowships from International Society of Neurochemistry and department of science and technology, Government of India.

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Allahabad University's aging-related studies to be showcased in international meet - Hindustan Times

BUFFALO, N.Y. Four studies focused on improving ourunderstanding of the human genome and microbiome were awardedfunding through the third round of research pilots supported by theUniversity at Buffalos Community of Excellence in Genome,Environment and Microbiome (GEM).

The projects, which total $150,000, will study how therelationship between the human body and the collection ofmicroorganisms that reside on or within it affect our risk forcertain diseases.

Understanding the connection these microorganisms have with ourbodies may enable the development of precision medicine and empowerindividuals to have greater control over their health.

The pilot grants award researchers from a variety of disciplinesup to $50,000 to develop innovative projects focused on themicrobiome. The funds support up to one year of research.

The awards are provided through GEM, an interdisciplinarycommunity of UB faculty and staff dedicated to advancing researchon the genome and microbiome. GEM is one of UBs threeCommunities of Excellence, a $9 million initiative to harness thestrengths of faculty and staff from fields across the university toconfront the challenges facing humankind through research,education and engagement.

Changes in the genome our own or those of themicrobes in, on or around us have a tremendous impact onhuman health and our environment, says Jennifer Surtees,PhD, GEM co-director and associate professor in the Department ofBiochemistry in the Jacobs School of Medicine and BiomedicalSciences at UB.

With these newest projects, UB scientists from acrossdisciplines have come together to dig deeper into these changes andto help establish the infrastructure necessary for advancedprecision medicine.

Along with Surtees, GEM is led by Timothy Murphy, MD, executivedirector and SUNY Distinguished Professor in the UB Department ofMedicine; and Norma Nowak, PhD, co-director, professor in theDepartment of Biochemistry, and executive director of UBsNew York State Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and LifeSciences.

The funded projects involve faculty teams from the Jacobs Schoolof Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, the UB School of Public Healthand Health Professions, and the UB School of Dental Medicine.

Can organisms in the gut increase vulnerability toseizures?

Inflammation in the central nervous system can increasesusceptibility to seizures.

Given the role that the intestinal microbiome plays in shapinginflammation in the body, UB researchers believe that the tinyorganisms may have an impact on the onset, strength and duration ofseizures.

The study, led by Ira J. Blader, PhD, professor in the UBDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, and Alexis Thompson,PhD, senior research scientist in the UB Research Institute onAddictions, will examine in mice the composition of the microbiomeand which of its components affect seizures.

If correct, this may suggest the gut microbiome as a therapeutictarget for the treatment of seizures and epilepsy.

Researchers lay groundwork for UB genomic research with SpitFor Buffalo

To better understand how the human genome and microbiomeinteract to influence health, UB researchers will establish SpitFor Buffalo, a project that will collect DNA samples from volunteerUBMD patients for use in future studies.

The researchers will collect saliva samples, anonymously linkthe samples to each patients electronic medical record, andsequence the genome and oral microbiome. By determining which genesare associated with which diseases, new connections betweenspecific genes and diseases will be made.

Samples are currently being collected from patients in the UBMDNeurology, Internal Medicine and OBGYN clinics in the ConventusCenter For Collaborative Medicine.

The project will provide an infrastructure resource for genomeand microbiome investigations at UB.

The research is led by Richard M. Gronostajski, PhD, professorin the Department of Biochemistry and director of both the WNY StemCell Culture and Analysis Center and the Genetics, Genomics andBioinformatics Graduate Program; Gil I. Wolfe, MD, professor andIrvin and Rosemary Smith Chair of the UB Department of Neurology;Michael Buck, PhD, associate professor in the Department ofBiochemistry and director of the WNY Stem CellSequencing/Epigenomics Center; and Nowak.

Solving how RNA provides a parasite with shape-shiftingabilities

The parasite Trypanosoma brucei, the cause of HumanAfrican Trypanosomiasis commonly known as sleeping sickness radically alters its physiology and morphology as it movesbetween insect and mammal over the course of its life cycle.

These changes, researchers found, are caused by various RNAbinding proteins, allowing the organism to survive in environmentsthat range from the human bloodstream to the insect gut. UBresearchers will examine how these proteins regulate theparasites transformations.

The study is led by Laurie K. Read, PhD, professor in theDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology; and Jie Wang, PhD,research assistant professor in the Department of Biochemistry.

Pinpointing the potential effects of oral and gut bacteria onheart health

UB researchers will investigate the connection between oral andgut bacteria and the onset and progression of atheroscleroticcardiovascular disease (CVD), or the buildup of plaque around theartery walls, eventually blocking blood flow.

The study will seek to understand how the microbes in the bodycontribute to plaque formation in the arteries, providing the basisfor interventions that reduce the effects of the microorganisms onCVD.

Previous studies have found microbes present in arterialplaques, but have not provided conclusive links to the parts of thebody where the microbes originate. Researchers will usenext-generation sequencing and advanced bioinformatics analysismethods to identify and characterize microorganisms in the arterywalls and compare the bacteria with those present in oral, gut andskin microbiomes.

Environmental factors such as smoking, blood cholesterol andperiodontal disease status will also be examined as potentialfactors that influence the bacteria-CVD relationship.

The research is led by Robert J. Genco, DDS, PhD, SUNYDistinguished Professor in the UB Department of Oral Biology andDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, and director of the UBMicrobiome Center; and Michael J. LaMonte, PhD, research associateprofessor in the UB Department of Epidemiology and EnvironmentalHealth.

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Linking seizures, heart health and sleeping sickness to bacteria and shape-shifting parasites in the mouth and gut - UB News Center